Arsenal transfer news: Mikel Arteta given Leandro Trossard instruction amid Eberechi Eze interest

Arsenal letting Leandro Trossard leave would be an "acceptable sacrifice", but the Gunners should only consider selling the Belgian if another player is guaranteed to come in, Charles Watts has told Sports Mole.

Now that the North London giants have confirmed the signing of Viktor Gyokeres from Sporting Lisbon, they are expected to ramp up their efforts to prise fellow attacker Eberechi Eze away from Crystal Palace.

The England international would be expected to fight for the left-wing spot at the Emirates Stadium, where Gabriel Martinelli and Trossard have been vying for minutes, and the latter has started pre-season in a positive vein of form.

During Arsenal's 3-2 win over Newcastle United in Singapore on Sunday, Trossard was involved in the build-up to two of the Gunners' goals, while Ethan Nwaneri shone against AC Milan after reportedly signing a new contract.

However, Watts still believes that there is an empty slot in the team for a creative genius, saying: "I think there's space in the squad for it, especially in [Eberechi] Eze because I just think he's just different to Ethan. I don't see Eze blocking Ethan's pathway. I see both players playing on different sides of the pitches, so there is absolutely a need for it.

Trossard Arsenal exit "acceptable sacrifice" if Eze signs

“I look at that left eight position especially. It’s not that creative, the options they've got there. Declan Rice, brilliant player. Not the most creative player, turning more and more into a box crashing midfielder, which is great, scoring lots of goals. But creativity wise, aside from set pieces, not brilliant. Same goes for Mikel Merino. But a real mercurial playmaker type player to have as an option in that position, Arsenal just don't have that.

“So they can't really change games or there's not really any sort of unpredictability there. It might take a sale - it might be that Leandro Trossard has to go to for that to happen, which as much as I don't really want Trossard to go, if it's a case of Trossard has to go for Eze to come in, then that's an acceptable sacrifice.”

Trossard has now entered the final 12 months of his contract with Arsenal, although it was reported a few months ago that the Belgium international could be in line for a long-term extension, a slight surprise given he is already in his 30s.

However, Trossard is incredibly reliable in both a fitness sense and attacking sense for Arsenal; he did not miss a single top-flight game last season and enjoyed his most productive Premier League campaign to date with 16 goal contributions.

Talk of Trossard signing a new deal has quietened in recent weeks, though, leaving Arsenal at risk of losing him for nothing in 2026, and his former suitors Bayern Munich have now agreed a deal to sign Luis Diaz.

What needs to happen for Arsenal to sanction Trossard transfer

Nevertheless, with Noni Madueke also expected to earn some minutes on the left-hand side, Watts would give his green light to Trossard's exit, but only if Eze or another creative player was 100% sure to arrive.

“I wouldn't let him go unless it was absolutely guaranteed that someone else was coming in," he added. "He’s been a brilliant signing, the availability is so good with him, as he showed last season when everyone else around him was dropping like flies. Leo was the one constant.

“I wouldn't want to force him out the door at all. I still think he's got loads to offer. He's versatile, he scores goals, he sets goals up. But if it meant you could get Eze, I think it's an acceptable sacrifice, especially with Madueke coming in who is going to be considered quite a lot as a left-sided option.

"You’ve then got Eze if he comes in, Martinelli, Madueke. You've got left-sided options there, even if Trossard goes. I wouldn't be celebrating it by any means, because I think Arsenal would be losing a very, very good player. But I think what it would do to the squad, how it would change things, it would be an acceptable departure.”

Jose Mourinho's Fenerbahce were rumoured to have agreed personal terms with Trossard earlier this summer, but such reports are now understood to have been wide of the mark.

The 30-year-old boasts a total of 28 goals and 23 assists in 124 games for the Gunners since his £20.8m arrival from Brighton & Hove Albion in January 2023, and he is expected to be involved in Thursday's friendly North London derby with Tottenham Hotspur in Hong Kong.

> Click here to listen to the full discussion on Trossard's Arsenal future