Chelsea are ready to gazump Arsenal for the second time this month with a move to sign Brighton & Hove Albion winger Leandro Trossard, according to the Mirror.
The Blues have been one of the busiest sides in the window so far, having completed the signings of Mykhailo Mudryk, Benoit Badiashile, David Datro Fofana, Andrey Santos and Joao Felix.
However, Graham Potter still wants to add at least two more players to his squad before the transfer window closes and according to the newspaper, Chelsea have now joined the race to sign Trossard.
The 28-year-old’s contract with Brighton will expire in June and as it stands, a contract extension is highly unlikely, so Brighton are expected to cash in rather than lose him for free at the end of the season.
Brighton coach De Zerbi has left the Belgium international out of his team for the last two games and has publicly criticised the winger, fueling speculation that Trossard will leave the South Coast club in coming days.
Arsenal have been linked with a move to sign the attacker after missing out on prime target Mudryk to Chelsea last weekend. Mikel Arteta knows he needs attacking reinforcements after losing Gabriel Jesus to a serious knee injury and the Gunners were close to agreeing a deal to sign Mudryk before Chelsea hijacked their move at the 11th hour.
Battle
The Evening Standard reported recently that Trossard has now emerged as an alternative target for Arsenal but they could be facing heartbreak again as the Mirror claims Chelsea have now set their sights on the Belgian.
The newspaper suggests that Brighton will want a fee of around £25m for Trossard, which shouldn’t be an issue for either Arsenal or Chelsea, but the Blues may flex their financial power by offering the player more wages.
Todd Boehly has been overseeing an overhaul of Chelsea since taking over the club last year having splashed almost £500m on new signings and it doesn’t look like he’s about to stop any time soon.
The West Londoners will feel confident of beating Arsenal to Trossard’s signature, but the Mirror says they’ll also face competition from Tottenham – who’ve also identified the winger as a January target.
Trossard was enjoying an excellent campaign with Brighton before his fall out with De Zebri. He has made 10 goal contributions in his 17 appearances so far, including a stunning hat-trick against Liverpool at Anfield.
The Belgian is a versatile attacker and has lots of Premier League experience so he’d be an excellent signing for whoever ends up winning the race for his signature.
Read more: Ornstein: Chelsea eyeing £230m duo to fill key area as Boehly continues spending spree
