Arsenal are making the same mistake again as transfer agreement confirmed

5 Jul 2026 15:56 BST | 5 min read

Cameron Smith | Digital Content Producer

Accredited sports journalist covering football since 2020

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Arsenal have reached an agreement to sell Leandro Trossard to Besiktas for a fee that could reach €20 million, and they are making the same transfer mistake yet again.

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Under Mikel Arteta, the Gunners have progressed from midtable obscurity to title challengers to Premier League champions. There isn’t much they’ve done wrong during that time.

The decision to hire Nicolas Jover as their set-piece coach has been an inspired one, the vast majority of their signings have been hugely successful and they are yet to lose a key player to a direct rival in the Premier League or Europe.

However, the one thing they still haven’t mastered is how to sell effectively.

Current ETV

Leandro Trossard

F, M (L)

Arsenal

Leandro Trossard

F, M (L)

Arsenal

ETV Range

€15.3M - €18.7M

Incredibly, Arsenal’s biggest sale of all time remains Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, courtesy of his €37m move to Liverpool back in 2017. The Englishman is the only player to have left Arsenal for a transfer fee in excess of €35m in the 21st century and it could soon harm their ability to improve Arteta’s squad.

Chelsea, on the other hand, have spent billions under their new owners BlueCo and their business in the market has largely been haphazard and reckless. But, they can afford to make mistakes thanks to their ability to sell. Arsenal simply can’t.

Financial rules mean that clubs across Europe can’t spend limitless money without consequences and selling players at the right time is therefore an art that needs to be mastered. Arsenal are yet to even come close to mastering it.

Chelsea have sold 20 players for over €35m since 2000 and that number is likely to rise this summer, with the likes of Andrey Santos, Nicolas Jackson and Benoit Badiashile all heavily linked with exits before the end of the window. Arsenal, as mentioned, have achieved this feat just once.

Arsenal must learn how to sell effectively

Trossard will become the third player to leave Arsenal this summer if he completes a move to Besiktas, following Jakub Kiwior’s €17m move to FC Porto and Karl Hein’s €3m switch to Werder Bremen.

The Belgium star is now 31 years old and he has just one year remaining on his current contract at the Emirates Stadium, but an initial fee of €18m, with €2m in add-ons, still feels incredibly low for a player of his quality.

© IMAGO - Arsenal have agreed to sell Leandro Trossard

Trossard has been an instrumental part of Arsenal’s squad over the past few years and he started in the Champions League final versus Paris Saint-Germain in May, with Arteta often favouring him ahead of Gabriel Martinelli last season.

In the current market, €18m is a measly fee for a player with such proven pedigree, and while his age and contract situation is far from ideal when attempting to sell, Arsenal surely could’ve negotiated a higher amount given his quality.

By comparison, Chelsea have struck an agreement to sell Tyrique George to Everton for €21m, with a possible €6m in add-on payments. Of course, the Englishman is 11 years younger than Trossard, but he also has 12 months remaining on his current contract, just like the Arsenal star.

George has the potential to develop into a star, however he is still incredibly raw and unproven at the highest level. Despite this, Chelsea have earned a fairly sizable fee, while they have also included a 15% sell-on clause in the deal.

With Trossard, Arsenal are making the same transfer mistake yet again and their inability to maximise revenue through player sales could come back to bite them if they are unable to match Aston Villa’s asking price for top summer target Morgan Rogers.

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