Arsenal are in advanced talks to sign Trossard's development

When you think of Mikel Arteta's best signings during his time as Arsenal manager you think of the likes of Declan Rice, David Raya and Jurrien Timber.

However, the £27m addition of Leandro Trossard must also be celebrated. Although the Belgian wasn't always the first name on the team sheet, his efforts for the Gunners were second to none.

He has been Mr Clutch since moving to the Emirates, scoring big goals in big games and rarely missing a game through injury.

When all is said and done, you will be fondly remembered as part of the team that won the Premier League and you certainly deserve to be.

However, there is a feeling that his time in red and white is now coming to an end.

Arsenal are close to signing a replacement for Trossard

One of Arsenal's priorities this summer is to sign a new player. The Gunners have lacked quality in this position for some time and are looking to rectify that.

PSG's Bradley Barcola continues to be linked with a move to north London and their first target appears to be Aston Villa's Morgan Rogers.

Club-to-club talks are reportedly ongoing but whether they will be able to convince the Villans to sell is another matter. They cost the attacker £80m and are under no pressure to sell. Rogers would like to join but is not pushing to leave after they secure Champions League football in 2025/26.

Because of this, Arsenal need to make sure they have other irons in the fire and have gone to make sure they get at least one body.

Christos Tzolis is the name they want but even if they get that deal, it won't affect their pursuit of Rogers. They are two different situations.

As they continue to negotiate with the England player, they are reportedly close to signing Tzolis.

That's according to Greek journalist Dimitris Manakos who reveals that 'negotiations are progressing' regarding the move and that Arsenal 'may' have completed the deal.

The Club Brugge midfielder 'wants' to join the club and a move could now be wrapped up quickly.

How does Tzolis compare to Trossard

While Trossard has been outstanding for most of his Arsenal career, at 31, he is now approaching the final stages of his career.

That's not particularly long for a footballer but there were signs, especially at the end of 2025/26, that the Belgian has now moved on.

The striker scored a vital goal at West Ham but his form before scoring that precious strike was arguably the worst of his career, certainly the worst of his time at Arsenal.

Trossard went 25 straight games without finding the back of the net during a truly dry spell. It was a big problem, even if he lived where it was most important to help Arsenal over the line.

However, in Tzolis, they can actually sign a player like him. Like Trossard, the Greek cut his teeth in the Belgium Pro League and made a big impact at Club Brugge.

Arsenal saw first-hand what he can do against the Belgian side in the Champions League and while the 24-year-old didn't score or assist, it was a rare game where he didn't contribute.

In 2025/26, the Greek player scored 22 goals and provided 29 assists in all competitions. To put this number in context, Trossard never reached those heights during his illustrious career.

The striker's highest goal tally in a single season was 17 back in 2023/24, his first full year at Arsenal.

Sure, he has played at a higher level in recent years than Tzolis but all signs point to Arsenal getting a quality wide player here.

The above numbers must be taken with a grain of salt considering the level of football they were playing but the raw data is incredibly favorable to Tzolis.

His performance levels have been surprisingly good, not only scoring regular goals and assists but also proving to be devastating in 1v1 situations when driving. In that respect, he is very similar to Trossard and maybe even better.

Their close touch control is impressive and they thrive against a defender.

At 24, Greek is not the full package yet. There are many areas to be refined but now feels like the right time to close Trossard in an otherwise hungry and young way.

If Arsenal can get their hands on him and Rogers, they will have done very well in the market.