ESPN pundit reacts to Arsenal signing Leandro Trossard in January

By Jordan Harris

Craig Burley has told ESPN that there is no doubt that Leandro Trossard is a step down from the likes of Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka following his move to Arsenal in the January transfer window.

Trossard was one of three players to join the Gunners last month. It appeared to be a coup for Mikel Arteta’s men, with the Belgian leading the goalscoring charts for Brighton before his move.

He made a bright bow in the dramatic win over Manchester United. And he made his full debut in the FA Cup loss to Manchester City last weekend.

Burley reacts to Arsenal signing Trossard

Trossard returned to the bench against Everton, coming on just before the hour mark. Unfortunately, the 28-year-old was unable to make the impact Arsenal needed as they suffered only their second loss of the Premier League season.

Burley suggested that it was a shrewd piece of business for Arsenal to sign Trossard. However, he claimed that he is not quite able to fill the void when Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka are not at the races.

“I think Trossard just beefs up that front line and midfield. I think he’s a decent signing, I don’t think it’s a brilliant signing. It’s definitely a step down when Martinelli, Odegaard or Saka are not playing well, there’s no doubt about that,” he told ESPN.

It is frightening to think about how much it would cost Arsenal to find someone on the same level as either Martinelli or Saka. The pair are two of the most exciting talents in the world right now.

It also must not be forgotten just how hard it is to do substantial business in January. So signing someone like Trossard seemed to make all of the sense in the world.

Arsenal have not broken the bank to bring him to the Emirates. And they brought in someone who has proven himself in the Premier League.

So he would not need time to hit the ground running. And he also potentially has a couple more years at his peak, which is particularly significant given what could be at stake for Arsenal this season.