Trossard leaves for Besiktas as Rice fights for England semi

Trossard to Besiktas, done at €18m

Leandro Trossard is gone. Besiktas have reached an agreement with Arsenal, and the Belgian winger is flying to Istanbul on Tuesday to finalise the move (2) (3) (4) (6). The fee lands at around €18m (10).

It is the end of a quietly brilliant Arsenal chapter: key goals, a title, and that hat-trick at Anfield in the 3–3 draw. Trossard was expected to leave this summer, but the deal was held until after the World Cup, and now it is happening.

Tzolis waiting as Trossard unlocks the domino

Your club already knows who fills that gap. Christos Tzolis wants only Arsenal, and the deal hinges on Trossard's exit being completed first (13). Fabrizio Romano says Tzolis is waiting for that transfer to go through before anything moves (13).

Get the next Arsenal FC brief by email

This article went out to subscribers as a brief. Get the next one straight to your inbox, free.

Free · No spam · Unsubscribe anytime

Rice a doubt for England's semi-final

Declan Rice is racing to be fit for England's World Cup semi-final against Argentina on Wednesday. He missed England's last training session with illness, and the Spanish press has him as a doubt right up to kick-off (1).

The Guardian's read is more optimistic: Rice is winning that fitness battle and expected to start (5). Jordan Pickford, meanwhile, told the media England cannot focus solely on Messi (5).

This matters for you. A deep World Cup run with no preseason is one thing. A deep run while ill is another. If England beat Argentina, Rice has a final to play. If they lose, he gets a break. Either way, his body gets no pause.

New Bruno Guimaraes bid coming

Arsenal are not done with Bruno Guimaraes. Football365 report a new bid is being prepared for the Newcastle captain (7).

The noise around this one is loud. Newcastle legend Lee Clark called the prospect of losing him "absolutely devastating" and pointed out it would be the third big name out the door this summer after Anthony Gordon and Sandro Tonali (11).

Former Spurs scout Bryan King went further: "If it's true that he wants to leave, then he's been tapped up, that's for sure, which is illegal" (12).

Guimaraes would transform your midfield. Newcastle do not want to sell. The harder they fight it, the more real this looks.

Kyran Thompson leaves Hale End for Newcastle

One going the other way. England U17 winger Kyran Thompson has agreed to join Newcastle from the Arsenal academy. Fabrizio Romano called it: Thompson had five proposals on the table and picked St James' Park, leaving as a free agent (8). A small story, but Hale End exits always sting a little.

Martinelli to Serie A? Roma and Juventus circling

Gabriel Martinelli is on the radar of both Juventus and Roma. The Italian press puts his price at €45m to €50m, with intermediaries already given that indication (9).

Juventus have a salary hurdle: Martinelli earns around €7.5m net including bonuses. Roma's priorities are Diego Moreira and Alejandro Garnacho, but they have enquired too (9).

Martinelli is a World Cup winger, a title winner, and still only 25. Selling him would be a bigger call than Trossard.

Ferran Torres also on the list

Arsenal are in the race for Ferran Torres. The Barcelona forward is attracting interest, and your club is named among the suitors (15). No bid yet, no price quoted. Just one to watch.

Morgan Rogers deal gets harder

Manchester United have an agreement for Youri Tielemans, and that complicates things for Arsenal. Aston Villa are now reluctant to lose Morgan Rogers on top of Tielemans in the same window (14). Rogers was a real target. The Tielemans deal does not kill it, but it raises the price and the resistance.

Fan-reaktioner

Trossard's departure has hit the fanbase. A post recalling his "Are you not entertained?" moment after the 3–0 win at Brighton in April 2024 is circulating, with fans calling him an Arsenal legend and saying they will miss him. On the Martinelli rumours, the Calciomercato report linking him to Juventus and Roma at €45m to €50m has the subreddit talking, though the mood is more wait-and-see than panic. Read the full discussion

Sources

  • 1. marca.com — Inglaterra, en vilo por Declan Rice
  • 2. fotbolldirekt.se — Uppgifter: Stjärnan lämnar Arsenal – för 200 miljoner
  • 3. voetbalzone.nl — Besiktas bereikt akkoord met Arsenal en haalt ervaren WK-ganger binnen
  • 4. hurriyet.com.tr — Trossard imzaya geliyor!
  • 5. theguardian.com — Declan Rice winning fitness battle to start for England against Argentina
  • 6. sabah.com.tr — Son dakika haberi: Beşiktaş, Trossard'ı İstanbul'a getiriyor!
  • 7. football365.com — Arsenal to launch new Bruno Guimaraes bid as ‘utter nonsense’ shut down
  • 8. justarsenal.com — Romano: Newcastle agree deal to sign young Arsenal winger
  • 9. justarsenal.com — Italian giants both want Arsenal’s World Cup winger
  • 10. 101greatgoals.com — Trossard set for Arsenal departure as Gunners agree €20m exit for winger
  • 11. justarsenal.com — Newcastle legend delivers ‘absolutely devastating’ verdict on Arsenal-linked star
  • 12. footballinsider247.com — Bruno Guimaraes has been 'tapped up' as Arsenal accused of 'illegal' approach
Get the next Arsenal FC brief by email

This article went out to subscribers as a brief. Get the next one straight to your inbox, free.

Free · No spam · Unsubscribe anytime

Share this article