Trossard Must Stay!

Trossard Temptation: Villa Try Again to Lure Belgian Away from the Emirates

Here we go again. Aston Villa are back at Arsenal's door, wearing their best sales smile and holding a cheque book, asking politely if they can whisk Leandro Trossard away from north London. According to FootballTransfers, talks between the two clubs kicked off on Tuesday, with Villa keen to test Mikel Arteta's resolve — which, given the summer's events, is probably somewhere between "medium rare" and "well done."

The twist? This isn't Villa's first attempt to chat up Trossard. They tried their luck in January when Arsenal were busy negotiating a new deal for him. Back then, the Gunners were all "hands off, we're confident he's signing." Fast forward eight months, and that confidence has turned into a polite cough and a long stare at the unsigned contract still gathering dust on the desk.

The player himself has been told about Villa's interest, and in true modern football style, the club are leaving the decision entirely up to him — because nothing says "team unity" like letting your winger decide whether to swap Champions League nights for a weekend in Birmingham.

Money, Motivation & a Queue Forming

Villa aren't the only ones eyeing the Belgian. Brentford have also stuck their hand up, possibly preparing for life without Yoane Wissa, who's reportedly angling for a move to Newcastle. Arsenal's valuation? Around £18 million. With Jacob Ramsey set for a big-money departure to the Toon and Leon Bailey attracting suitors, Villa could easily afford it.

But here's the snag — Arteta actually wants to keep Trossard. The player's open to staying too, but only if he gets more than the occasional cameo. Unfortunately, Arsenal's summer recruitment drive has made regular starts about as likely as VAR apologising for a mistake.

A Window Watch Worth the Popcorn

So, we've got a player not rushing to sign a new deal, two Premier League clubs ready to pounce, and a manager who might secretly want to keep him but can't promise minutes. The final weeks of the window could turn into a soap opera, and not one of those polite BBC dramas either — this feels more EastEnders, complete with surprise exits and last-minute twists.

If Trossard does go, expect the official line to be "the player wanted a new challenge." The unofficial one? "We thought we'd get more than £18 million, but we'll take it."

And if he stays? Well, then Arsenal fans will be left hoping that the Belgian's main contribution this season is more than just coming off the bench to score the odd pretty goal… right before Villa call again in January.

Would I let him go? No way. Lots of people are saying Arsenal can't afford to splurge crazy money on an over-30-year-old, who is probably looking at this contract as his last big one. After being stung by how Ozil and Aubamayeng performed once signing lucrative deals, Arsenal can be forgiven for being cautious. I would be too.

However, Trossard is an essential ingredient in a title-winning squad. He offers the X-Factor, when coming on from the bench and is versatile enough to perform in more than one position. He knows the Arsenal set up better than a possible incoming player would.

Maybe there are some that would let Trossard go to finance an Eze deal. Personally, I wouldn't. Eze is a risk. He may not enjoy being a small fish in a big pond. Trossard is reasonably settled at Arsenal, so I'd let him see out his contract if he won't sign what's on the table. This guy is exceptional, and that's why Villa and Bayern Munich want him and all the more reason why Arsenal can't let him go.