Arsenal agree €20m transfer for in-form World Cup star

30 Jun 2026 17:01 BST | 4 min read

Tom Weber | Writer

Multilingual sports writer who specialises in European football and American soccer.

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Arsenal forward Leandro Trossard is the subject of strong interest from Besiktas, and a potential transfer has just taken a major step forward.

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The 31-year-old is currently starring for a hit-and-miss Belgium side at the World Cup. Trossard, who previously drew criticism for his struggles in a national team shirt, has been one of the Red Devils' standout performers.

The winger produced two goals and an assist as Belgium advanced out of the group stage courtesy of a 5-1 thrashing of New Zealand. Trossard and company will face Senegal in a tough round of 32 clash on Wednesday.

Current ETV

Leandro Trossard

F, M (L)

Arsenal

Leandro Trossard

F, M (L)

Arsenal

ETV Range

€15.3M - €18.7M

In the meantime, discussions are taking place behind the scenes over Trossard's future. It remains unclear whether the Belgian will still be an Arsenal player once the new season kicks off.

This time last year, Trossard was handed a pay rise - but no contract extension - in a bid to keep him at the Emirates. He stayed put, but there is now just a year left to run on his deal, making him a prime candidate to be sold this summer.

Arsenal agree Trossard sale

Arsenal are in the market for a marquee left winger, and they could even add Club Brugge star Christos Tzolis as a quality depth option. This means that at least one of their current players for that position will have to depart - unless Mikel Arteta takes a cue from Carlo Ancelotti and converts Gabriel Martinelli into a central attacking midfielder.

Although the Brazilian is a more marketable asset due to his age, Trossard now increasingly looks like the most likely departure. According to Turkish media, Besiktas are once again making a strong push for him.

It was their interest last summer that prompted Arsenal to give Trossard a raise, and they are now back in the frame. Sporx claims that the Istanbul outfit are prepared to pay as much as €20 million for the 31-year-old.

Unsurprisingly, Arsenal are said to be open to doing business at that price and have indicated that they would be prepared to accept Besiktas' offer. Now, the final decision rests with Trossard.

He has made it clear that he is not willing to personally engage in transfer discussions during the World Cup, so Besiktas will be hoping that Senegal do the business against Belgium on Wednesday. They need a quick answer from him.

This is not only because Trossard is fielding interest from Saudi Arabia, but also because Besiktas' season kicks off in three weeks with a Champions League qualifying tie against Midtjylland.

Naturally, they want to have Trossard available for these games, but he also needs a holiday and pre-season. Time is, therefore, of the essence as far as Besiktas are concerned.

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