Leandro Trossard and Arsenal have provided Liverpool with an assurance of a $108 million transfer for Mason Mount
According to Sky Germany journalist Florian Plettenberg, Liverpool sees Moisés Caicedo from Brighton as one of their top choices for midfield, in case their primary target Jude Bellingham is unavailable.
Manchester United and Chelsea are also reportedly interested in him, and it is likely that he will leave Brighton in the summer. However, Arsenal had a chance to sign Caicedo in January but failed to do so.
BBC Sport reported that Arsenal made two offers for Moisés Caicedo, the second of which was worth up to £70m. However, both bids were rejected by Brighton.
As a result, Arsenal ended up signing Chelsea’s Jorginho for a much lower fee of around £12m. Although there was mixed reaction to the signing, Jorginho has performed well in his five starts for Arsenal and has been an influential presence in midfield.
Despite initial skepticism, the signing now appears to be a shrewd move by Arsenal.
When it came to their attacking options, Arsenal had similar experiences. They had initially targeted Shakhtar Donetsk’s Mykhailo Mudryk for a big-money transfer, but Chelsea outbid them with a package worth £88m.
As an alternative, they looked to Brighton’s Leandro Trossard, who was much cheaper at around £21m. This was due to Trossard having only 18 months left on his contract and not planning to sign another, as reported by BBC Sport.
Leandro Trossard had a great start at Arsenal and showed his skills on Sunday by setting up all three goals in their impressive 3-0 away win over Fulham. He made history by becoming the first player in Premier League history to achieve this feat away from home.
He has now contributed to six goals in nine league appearances, with an average of a goal or assist every 65 minutes. This is particularly impressive given that he has only started four matches for Arsenal.
Despite Leandro Trossard being one of the best signings of the January window, the same cannot be said for Chelsea’s $108m signing, Mykhailo Mudryk.
He has made a disappointing start at Chelsea, failing to score in any of his first seven outings and only managing one assist. He has also been left on the bench for three matches, and left there for the full 90 minutes twice.
Although Mudryk may have a higher potential than Trossard given that he is six years younger at 22, he is still adapting to the league.
In a way, Arsenal’s failure to sign Mudryk has turned out to be a blessing in disguise, as they needed Trossard’s immediate impact in their title battle against Manchester City.
Liverpool faces an important question as it approaches its most crucial transfer window in years: how much emphasis should it place on Premier League-proven players who can make an immediate impact?
While the club must also consider long-term planning, it needs to maximize its remaining years with key players like Virgil van Dijk, Andy Robertson, Thiago, and Mohamed Salah before they start to decline due to age.
However, it’s important to note that players from outside of England can also make an instant impact, as seen with Mohamed Salah’s success at Liverpool.
It’s understandable that many foreign players need time to adapt to the Premier League before they can reach their full potential, making their overall risk higher.
However, players like Trossard offer a close-to-guarantee option for clubs. With eight goal contributions in his first season with Brighton and delivering double figures in every campaign since, Trossard had already reached that benchmark at the midway point of 2022/23 with Brighton.
He has proven that he has what it takes to succeed at a bigger club, making him a reliable option for teams looking for an immediate impact.
The value of players who have already proven themselves in the Premier League and have already adapted to the game and environment should not be underestimated. This is especially true for Liverpool as they focus on their midfield in the upcoming transfer window.
Some of the players that the club has been linked with include Alexis Mac Allister (via Football Transfers), Mason Mount (via The Guardian), and James Maddison (via Football Insider).
Liverpool should consider the success that Arsenal has had with their January signings, particularly Trossard, and the fact that proven Premier League players like Mount and Maddison could be available at a reasonable cost due to their contract situations.
This shows the value of Premier League-proven players without the usual premium. It’s worth keeping an eye on these players as potential targets for Liverpool in the upcoming transfer window.
Leandro Trossard and Arsenal have provided Liverpool with an assurance of a $108 million transfer for Mason Mount
