Arsenal are yet to begin their summer transfer business in earnest under manager Mikel Arteta, and his agent says one deal he has already prepared could be in doubt.
Arsenal have named Christos Tzoris as replacement for Leandro Trossard (Image: Getty Images)
Leandro Trossard’s agent has claimed that the Belgian could end up staying at Arsenal, in which case the contract with Christos Tzoris could be scrapped. Trossard, 31, was thought to be close to a move to Turkish side Besiktas this summer.
Besiktas are reported to be paying around €18m (about £15.3m) in compensation, with personal terms also agreed. It appears that the contract was expected to be signed after the World Cup.
However, it appears that the move is not as far-fetched as first thought. The winger’s agent, Dirk Hebel, said he has not yet made a decision on his long-term future, but a stay at Arsenal is not out of the question.
“I can confirm that Besiktas did their best to sign Leandro Trossard,” he said in an interview with Germany’s Sky. “But no decision has been made yet.
“Leandro has all the offers and will make a decision soon. He is a world-class player and has several options, including staying at Arsenal.”
If Trossard were to stay, there could be doubts about the Gunners’ ability to sign Club Brugge star Christos Tzoris. The Greek forward is seen as Trossard’s ideal replacement, with a deal worth £35m already falling through.
Tzoris, 24, scored 22 goals for Club Brugge last season. Meanwhile, Trossard scored eight goals for Arsenal as they won the Premier League, and also scored twice as Belgium reached the quarter-finals of the World Cup.
Leandro Trossard has been linked with a move to Besiktas (Image: Getty Images)
As well as Trossard and Tsolis, Arsenal have also been given updates on the transfer of Julian Alvarez. The Gunners have a long-term interest in the Argentine forward, but are competing with Barcelona for a contract.
Barça president Joan Laporta has confirmed that Barça’s offer is still under consideration, but that there is a deadline for it.
“We have made a non-restrictive offer and will announce in due course how long that offer will be on hold,” he said.
“This offer was made with the intention of signing a player who is attractive to both sports management and coaches. I think he is a great player. We remain a substantial offer, but the validity of this offer is not unlimited.”
There were also doubts over Arsenal’s signing of Bruno Guimarães, who was thought to be available for around £50m, but that no longer appears to be the case.
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