What happened: Arsenal have agreed a €20million (£17.1m) fee with Besiktas for the sale of Leandro Trossard, according to Adam Leventhal and James McNicholas of The Athletic. The package is understood to be structured as €18m up front plus €2m in add-ons. Personal terms have not yet been finalised, and it remains unclear whether the 31-year-old will accept Besiktas' offer.
Why it matters: Trossard entered the summer with only a year left on his Arsenal contract, and the club are widely expected to upgrade their left flank, with Gabriel Martinelli's future also in doubt. The Belgian has been a consistent contributor since Arsenal signed him from Brighton in January 2023 — a deal struck days after Chelsea hijacked the club's pursuit of Mykhailo Mudryk with an £88m offer. Trossard went on to win the Premier League in north London, while Mudryk was later suspended four years for a doping offence.
By the numbers: Trossard scored eight goals and added 11 assists last season. Arsenal paid roughly £24m-£27m to Brighton for him in January 2023; the agreed Besiktas fee is €20m (£17.1m), split €18m guaranteed plus €2m in add-ons. He arrived with four seasons of Premier League experience and had one year remaining on his contract.
What to watch: Watch for Trossard and Besiktas to finalise personal terms, the step that will determine whether the transfer is completed. Arsenal's search for a left-flank replacement is the follow-on move to track.