A team that was stuck in the middle of the table has become one that is regularly in the running for the Premier League title and looks ready to go deep in the Champions League thanks to the work of Mikel Arteta and Edu Gaspar.
A lot of this change is due to the Spanish manager’s management and tactical know-how, but it’s also been helped by a string of great transfers. Martin Odegaard, Declan Rice, and Gabriel Magalhaes are just a few of the stars that the club has signed in the last four years or so and can’t be dropped.
However, while the team are strong enough to contend for major honours, there is always room to improve, and based on recent reports, it looks like the North Londoners have set their sights on one of the most exciting attackers in the Premier League this season, an attacker who could spell trouble for Leandro Trossard.
Arsenal transfer news
According to a recent report from the Colombian publication AS, Arsenal are now one of several sides interested in signing Aston Villa star Jhon Duran and have already made contact over a potential deal.
The report claims that, alongside the Gunners, Barcelona are very keen on the 20-year-old sensation, while reports in the summer linked fellow Premier League sides, Chelsea and West Ham United, to the player.
Unfortunately for the North Londoners, the interest of these other clubs isn’t the most significant barrier to signing the Colombian international; that would be his price.
According to AS, the Villans want no less than €90m – £75m – for the incredible goalscorer, and while that is a lot of money, it’s not too surprising as he signed a new long-term deal earlier this month.
Overall, it would be an expensive and challenging transfer to get over the line, but based on his form this season, it is one well worth pursuing, even if it could spell trouble for Trossard’s long-term future at the Emirates.
Why Duran could be bad news for Trossard
So, the first thing to clear up is that during his time at the club, Trossard has proven himself to be an incredibly useful player and one that has often stepped up in important moments. Yet, he’s not a nailed-on starter, starting 45.5% of his 79 games for the club on the bench.
For example, when everyone is fit, the Belgian doesn’t start ahead of Kai Havertz up top, he doesn’t start ahead of Odegaard in the ten position, and more often than not, he hasn’t started ahead of Gabriel Martinelli on the wing for any considerable period.
Now, this isn’t a slight on the 29-year-old’s ability, as his haul of 20 goals and 13 assists for the club is more than respectable, but it does show that Arteta views his best role as the 12th man, or in other words, as a super-sub.
So, if the North Londoners were to splash upwards of £75m on the 20-year-old goalscoring “maverick”, as dubbed by analyst Ben Mattinson, who has done his best work off the bench for the Villans this season, where would that leave the Belgian?
Moreover, before Odegaard’s injury this season, the £27m man was often brought on when the team were looking for a goal, but when we look at his output this season and compare it to the Villa ace, there is no comparison.
For example, in his eight League games, the Waterschei-born ace has scored two goals, while the 20-year-old prospect has notched up four in as many games. Meanwhile, when you take into account League Cup, and Champions League matches, the Colombian has racked up seven goals in 12 appearances to the Gunners ace’s two goals and one assist in 11.
Ultimately, while Trossard can play in more positions than Duran, the sheer weight of goals from the Villa ace, his potential price tag, and proficiency off the bench mean that he could well be the ideal upgrade in Arteta’s eyes and, should this transfer go ahead, the former Brighton ace could see his playing time seriously dwindle at the Emirates.
