"I also talked to Tottenham" - Leandro Trossard's agent confirms interest from other clubs before sealing Arsenal transfer
Leandro Trossard's agent Josy Comhair has confirmed that Tottenham Hotspur held talks over a deal for the Belgian before Arsenal snapped him up.
Arsenal announced the signing of Trossard from Premier League rivals Brighton & Hove Albion on Friday, January 20. They have forked out an initial sum of £21 million to lure him to the Emirates Stadium.
Trossard seemingly became available for transfer this month after he fell out with Seagulls manager Roberto De Zerbi. In a statement, the attacker's agent Comhair claimed that the Italian tactician had humiliated his client following a bust-up with a teammate.
The Belgium international was linked with a move away from the Amex Stadium as a result. Several clubs, including Tottenham, were credited with an interest in acquiring his services from Brighton.
Comhair has now revealed that he held talks with Spurs over a potential transfer for his client. The agent also disclosed that Marseille was also interested in Trossard, although Arsenal acted quickly to snap him up. He told Belgian regional daily Het Laatste Nieuws:
"I called Edu Gaspar on Wednesday. I explained the situation. Before the World Cup we agreed that Leandro wouldn’t sign a new deal with Brighton. So they had to sell him now. Marseille were interested, I also talked to Tottenham. But they wanted to wait.”
Agent Josy Comhair: “I called Edu Gaspar on Wednesday. I explained the situation. Before the World Cup we agreed that Leandro wouldn’t sign a new deal with Brighton. So they had to sell him now. Marseille were interested, I also talked to Tottenham. But they wanted to wait.” #afc https://t.co/JAWtgORYFg
The Athletic claimed earlier in the week that Tottenham had a £12 million bid rejected by Brighton for Trossard. The Seagulls, though, held out for a bigger fee despite the player's friction with De Zerbi.
Brighton eventually proved they were right to demand a larger sum as Arsenal paid almost £10 million more. As per the agreement with the Gunners, they could earn as much as £27 million for the Belgian.
Arsenal and Tottenham remain active in the market
Trossard, who could be involved against Manchester United on Sunday (January 22), was Arsenal's first signing of the winter transfer window. The Premier League table-toppers seemingly intend to strengthen their squad further before the end of the month.
The Gunners have already lined up a deal for Spezia central defender Jakub Kiwior. They have agreed to pay an initial fee of over £17.5 million to acquire the Poland international's services.
Kiwior has reportedly traveled to London to complete his transfer to the north London giants. He will add to Mikel Arteta's options in defense as the Spaniard looks to lead his team to glory.
Meanwhile, Antonio Conte's Tottenham are also in the market for reinforcements this month. They have been linked with Sporting Lisbon Pedro Porro and AS Roma's Nicolo Zaniolo among other players.