Leandro Trossard

Before N5

Trossard is a Genk academy product from Waterschei who took the scenic route: loans at Lommel, Westerlo and OH Leuven before his hometown club finally trusted him. They were rewarded handsomely — he captained Genk to the 2018/19 Belgian title, then joined Brighton that summer. Three and a half seasons of clever, undervalued wing play on the south coast ended abruptly in January 2023, when a falling-out opened the door and Arsenal walked through it for £21m.

The Arsenal chapter

Trossard settled instantly, and his knack for goals that change the temperature of a match — equalisers, openers against low blocks, late winners — became a tactical resource in itself. In the title year he remained the forward Arteta could trust when a game needed one clean touch.

How he plays

Trossard plays everywhere across the front line and nowhere you can mark. He drifts off the flank into pockets, takes the ball on the half-turn in traffic, and finishes early — low, placed, before the keeper is set. His first touch kills the ball dead, and his timing arriving at the far post is a career-long signature.

Timeline

• 1994Born in Waterschei; joins the Genk academy
• 2019Captains Genk to the Belgian title, then joins Brighton
• 2023January move to Arsenal for £21m
• 2025Becomes the league's most reliable game-changing substitute
• 2026Checked title-season scorer in the club table