Al Ittihad keen on signing Arsenal star and ready £40 million bid - Reports

Saudi Arabian giants Al-Ittihad are keen on signing Arsenal forward Leandro Trossard and are prepared to pay £40 million for his services. Trossard was seemingly a major target for the Gulf club during the summer transfer window. This came after he started just 18 Premier League games last season.

However, he opted to continue his career at the Emirates Stadium. There is some uncertainty around Trossard's future, with his contract at Arsenal set to expire in 18 months. The Gunners will need to extend his deal in due course if they plan to hold onto him.

Al-Ittihad are hoping that they decide on letting him leave instead, and according to the Mirror (via Tribal Football), they are prepared to sign him in January. It is uncertain if the Gunners, who paid £27 million to sign him from Brighton in 2023, will accept £40 million.

However, the report from the Mirror claims that Trossard does not intend to leave the Emirates Stadium at this time. This season, the forward has played 20 games in all competitions, scoring four goals and providing two assists.

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Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta speaks to the press ahead of Fulham clash

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta spoke to the press ahead of their Premier League match against Fulham. The two London sides are set to face off at Craven Cottage on Sunday, December 8.

In his pre-match press conference, Arteta responded to comments about the Gunners being "corner kings" after their impressive goalscoring brilliance from set-pieces. He said (via football.london):

"We want to be the kings of everything. Set-pieces, the best in the world. High press, the best in the world. In open spaces, the best in the world. The best atmosphere in the stadium and the best at everything."

"Before it was we didn’t score enough, we were soft at defending, we didn’t have mentality, we were not physical enough, we didn’t beat big teams away from home for 17 years, 20 years, 22 years. We want to be the best at everything," Arteta added. "We want to have the best academy, be the best at player development, recruit the best players, best coaches. That’s the aim."

Indeed, Arsenal have become one of the best teams in the world at set-pieces. From the start of the 2023-24 season till December 4, they have scored 22 goals from corners (via BBC). This is much better than the next Premier League club - Manchester City - who have scored 15 in that period.