One Arsenal attacker will be desperate to improve after making a disappointing start to his Euro 2024 campaign.
Leandro Trossard produced a poor performance as Belgium lost 1-0 against Slovakia in their first game of Euro 2024.
The Arsenal forward was named in Domenico Tedesco’s starting XI for that match, and was deployed in his preferred role on the left flank.
However, Trossard was far from his best as his display was rated as a 1/10 by a section of the Belgian press.
This will come as a surprise to many Arsenal fans, as the 29-year-old ended the domestic campaign in such fine form for the Gunners. Having forced his way into Mikel Arteta’s regular starting XI, Trossard drew comparisons with Arsenal legend Freddie Ljungberg with his prolific streak over the course of the run-in.
The former Brighton & Hove Albion man’s stock at the Emirates Stadium is now as high as it ever has been, and he will have been desperate to shine on the biggest stage this summer. Trossard will therefore be keen to make a real impact when Belgium take on Romania later today.
Why Arsenal need Leandro Trossard to impress at Euro 2024
Arsenal paid £27 million to sign Trossard from Brighton in the January of 2023. In the context of the modern market, and accounting for the impact he has been able to have in North London, that deal must now be regarded as something of a bargain.
If he can produce his best in what remains of Belgium’s time in Germany then Trossard could drive his value up even higher, which raises the question as to whether or not the Gunners ought to consider cashing in on the player this summer should a suitor come forward.
Should Arsenal sell Trossard this summer?
If the opportunity to turn a profit on Trossard arises this summer then Arsenal would be wise to take it. Whilst he still has plenty to offer the Gunners, he is likely coming towards the end of his peak years, and he is an imperfect player. He lacks pace, and Trossard has all too often failed to impact games as a starter.
The key to good selling is timing it so that you can extract maximum value from a player without losing more quality than you can afford to. This requires some measure of sacrifice. As they have all too often with other players, if Arsenal wait until Trossard is clearly surplus to requirements before trying to offload him then they will not attract a top offer.
What’s more, Trossard and Arteta have had a fractious relationship in the past, which could resurface in the future were he to slip down the pecking order at the Emirates Stadium.
Arsenal winners and losers at Euro 2024
In this week’s episode, Will Jones and Rahul Lakhani discussed the first few days of the European Championships. With Arsenal players such as Kai Havertz and Kieran Tierney experiencing mixed starts to the tournament, the pair assessed which Gunners were the winners and losers from the group stages so far.
There was some talk about transfers based off the Euros, with Arsenal-linked Amadou Onana’s display for Belgium discussed, whilst Leandro Trossard’s poor performance was analysed, and Bukayo Saka’s sensational England showing lauded.