"We'll cope" - Adam Lallana sends message to Leandro Trossard after Belgian seals Arsenal move
Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Adam Lallana has claimed that the club can cope with Leandro Trossard's move to Arsenal.
The Belgian forward joined the Gunners for around £27 million, including add-ons, in the ongoing January transfer window. Before his move, Trossard was Brighton's top scorer in the Premier League this season with seven goals in 16 games.
However, Lallana recently pointed out their recent emphatic wins and stated that the Seagulls can cope with departing players. He said (via Mirror):
“You only need to look at the last three games without him, I think it’s been 5-1, 4-1 and 3-0. So as I said to you earlier, players can leave Brighton but we’ve got enough without them."
Lallana also highlighted that Brighton has done well following the departures of the likes of Yves Bissouma and Marc Cucurella last summer. He said:
“We had enough without [Yves] Bissouma, [Marc] Cucurella, Ben White, Dan Burn, when Neal [Maupay] moved on. So if Leo moves on we’ll cope. We’re coping already.”
🗣 "Players can leave Brighton but we've got enough without them."
Adam Lallana believes the Brighton team can cope with the loss of Leandro Trossard https://t.co/Dp9Ky1rKZe
Trossard, 28, joined Brighton from KC Genk in 2019 and contributed 25 goals and 14 assists in 121 games. However, the Belgian had a falling out with manager Roberto de Zerbi in recent times and it was one of the factors for his departure.
He will now likely compete with the likes of Gabriel Martinelli and Emile Smith Rowe for the left-wing position at Arsenal.
Mikel Arteta on Arsenal's new signing Leandro Trossard
The Gunners are set to face Manchester United at the Emirates in the Premier League on Sunday, January 22. In a pre-match press conference, Mikel Arteta shared his thoughts on Trossard's move to the club, saying (via Arsenal.com):
“We are really happy to have him. He’s a player we have followed for a while now. The opportunity came - we had the necessity to have a player in the frontline who is versatile enough to play in different positions."
North London's newest arrival. https://t.co/utp1apPmmv
He added:
“He knows the league, he has enough experience here and I think he can have an immediate impact in the team. We have to think short-term, but medium and long-term as well. He gives us all of that. He’s a very intelligent player. When you look at his career and what he’s done in the last few years, he’s a player that fits our way of playing.”
Arsenal are currently at the top of the Premier League table with a five-point lead over Manchester City with a game in hand.