Arsenal issue hands-off warning after Al-Ittihad bid for Leandro Trossard rejected

Club deem forward key to the balance of the squad despite lure of a big offer from the Saudi Pro League

Arsenal have told Saudi Arabia’s Al-Ittihad that Leandro Trossard is not for sale after a shock offer was lodged for the Belgian forward ahead of the Saudi deadline.
Arsenal view Trossard as a key member of the squad and have rejected the offer from Al-Ittihad, which Telegraph Sport understands to have been an initial loan proposal with an option to buy. The total value of the offer is believed to have been worth up to around £30 million.
Trossard is valued highly by Arsenal for his finishing ability and versatility in the final third, as he can play on either wing or in a more central attacking position.
It would therefore require an extraordinary offer for Arsenal to even consider selling the 29-year-old, especially because the closure of the Premier League window last week means they could not bring in a replacement until January.
Arsenal largely operated a one-in-one-out policy during this summer’s window and the departure of Trossard would have left them short in the attacking positions — and would have almost certainly triggered a furious response from supporters.
Arsenal signed Trossard from Brighton for an initial £21 million in the January window of 2023 and he has since established himself as an important member of the squad.
The offer for Trossard came after the closure of the Premier League window on Friday night. Arsenal executives are happy with their squad balance and recruitment this summer, which ended with Raheem Sterling joining on loan from Chelsea.
Arsenal added four first-team players during the window: defender Riccardo Calafiori, midfielder Mikel Merino, Sterling and goalkeeper Neto.
On the outgoing side, they sold Emile Smith Rowe, Eddie Nketiah and Aaron Ramsdale, while Reiss Nelson joined Fulham on loan.
Including the £27 million fee to turn David Raya’s loan into a permanent deal, Arsenal spent around £100 million on new signings and generated around £100 million through sales.