Alan Smith calls Arsenal's £17m Trossard sale baffling

Former Arsenal striker Alan Smith fears that Arsenal have created a serious attacking void by allowing Leandro Trossard to leave for Besiktas, a £17m fee he calls a baffling mistake. The former Gunners forward argues the club have lost three key forwards while only adding a single new striker.

Attacking departures leave a void

Arsenal’s attack has been thinned by the exits of Martinelli, Trossard and Jesus. Smith argues the club have lost three forward players while only bringing in Christos Tzolis. The lack of a proven left‑wing option, after missing out on Morgan Rogers and Vinicius Junior, leaves a clear gap.

Summer spending and the £17m sale

In response, the Gunners splashed almost £200 million on five new signings. Piero Hincapie’s loan from Bayer Leverkusen was made permanent, and Ezri Konsa arrived from Aston Villa to bolster the defence. Illan Meslier joined from Leeds United as a third‑choice goalkeeper, while Bruno Guimaraes and Christos Tzolis were signed from Newcastle United and Club Brugge respectively. Fans can Get ahead of the start of the season by signing up for the free newsletter (Picture: Getty).

‘He performed in big games, and he chipped in with goals in big games, so that’s hard to explain,’ Smith told Metro via BestBettingSites.co.uk. He added that Trossard’s £17 million fee was ‘measly’ and that the loss is difficult to justify.

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Smith also warned that Arsenal’s Premier League title hopes are far from secure under manager Mikel Arteta. He named Manchester City as the closest challengers after watching Enzo Fernandez help the Citizens win their first two games. ‘They’ve splashed the cash and added quality, so they will be even stronger challengers now,’ he said.

The former striker also questioned Chelsea’s ability to sustain a challenge despite Xabi Alonso’s signing of Emiliano Martinez from Aston Villa. ‘He is a world‑class keeper and a big personality, but I doubt they will stay the course,’ Smith remarked. Chelsea sit near the top of the table but Smith doubts their consistency.

Smith concluded that time will tell whether the new arrivals can fill the holes left by the departures. He cautioned that injuries and the integration of the summer signings could prove decisive for the Gunners’ campaign.