Arsenal prepare to offload Trossard in a bid to raise funds for the purchase of Lookman

ENGLISH Premier League giants Arsenal are planning to offload 20-goal Belgian striker Leandro Trossard come the January transfer window so they can purchase Nigeria's Ademola Lookman from Italian side Atalanta.

Lookman, 27, is one of the hottest properties in European football at the moment, after coming after finishing 14th in the final rankings for the 2024 men's Ballon d'Or award. he is now in the running for the African Player of the Year Award after a strong campaign in 2023/24, culminating in a memorable hat-trick in the Uefa Europa League final.

His exploits have caught the attention of several big European clubs and Arsenal are now prepared to fight it out with French giants Paris Saint-Germain for Lookman’s signature come January. They are thus prepared to offload Trossard despite him enjoying a strong first season at the Emirates, scoring 17 goals and under the management of Mikel Arteta.

However, this season, the former KRC Genk player has been subpar, managing only two goals in 13 appearances for the Gunners. Arsenal hope that by offloading Trossard they will be able to raise sufficient funds and compete with PSG for Lookman..

Before the summer window closed, Saudi Arabian side Al-Ittihad reportedly offered €35m for Trossard’s services but Arsenal turned down the bid due to the lack of a replacement as the transfer deadline approached. Al-Ittihad is still interested in signing Trossard and could return with an improved €40m offer, which would bolster Arsenal’s budget.

This year, Lookman and Nigeria’s captain, William Troost-Ekong, are the only Nigerian players on the Confederation of African Football's (Caf) final 10-man shortlist for the African Footballer of the Year. Former Super Eagles skipper Nwankwo Kanu said he sees Lookman as the standout candidate for the top prize.

Kanu added: “Lookman is a very good player, humble, works very hard and going by the records, I believe he will win. He was ranked well in the Ballon d’Or  at14th and he has done well for both club and country.”

Lookman had a stellar year, leading Nigeria to the African Cup of Nations final and helping Atalanta secure the Europa League trophy. Caf's awards ceremony is scheduled to take place in Marrakech, Morocco, on Monday, December 16, when Africa’s top football talents will be honoured.