He’s better than Trossard: Arsenal hold talks to sign Man United star

The form of Leandro Trossard in 2026 was one of the big reasons Arsenal began to falter in the race to win the Premier League title.

While the Gunners did ultimately get across the line, and we must thank the Belgian for his goal at West Ham that proved vital, he was something of a passenger for large parts of the season.

Before finding the net at the London Stadium, the winger had failed to score across his last 25 games in all competitions.

In truth, though, Mikel Arteta’s forward line did not exactly scream title winners for much of 2025/26. While Viktor Gyokeres scored 21 times across league and cup, the Swede left plenty to be desired with his general hold up play.

Likewise, Noni Madueke struggled in his debut year, scoring just three top-flight goals. Five of Eberechi Eze’s ten goals came against Spurs too. Those were magic moments but he did not set the world alight either.

It explains why Arsenal could rebuild their attack this summer.

Arsenal hold talks over winger signing

Who the Gunners decide to bring in this summer will be a fascinating one. The leading target right now appears to be Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers. Reports have claimed that talks are already underway with his camp.

That said, he is not the only forward who is catching the eye. Reports from Italy this week actually claim that the Gunners made an enquiry for Juventus superstar Kenan Yildiz, only to be met with resistance from the Serie A side.

PSG’s Bradley Barcola has also been floated as an option and Anthony Gordon was also mentioned before he headed to Barcelona.

At a potential £100m price tag, Rogers will not come cheap which explains why alternatives are being looked at.

Another of those includes Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford. Wouldn’t this be a shock move? Well, it’s one that may well have legs if you believe TEAMtalk.

Rashford looked well set to re-join Barcelona after his 2025/26 loan spell but the arrival of England teammate Gordon has put that in danger.

In the terms of his loan move to LaLiga, there was a £26m option to buy but Barca wanted to negotiate a lower fee. Subsequently, it looks as though he’ll be heading back for pre-season with United after the World Cup.

That’s unless a suitor comes forward. TEAMtalk note that Arsenal and Chelsea are two of the clubs to have been contacted by Rashford’s representatives over a possible move.

Clubs in the Saudi Pro League have also been approached, as have Bayern Munich, PSG and Atletico Madrid.

How Rashford compares to Trossard

This would be a remarkable move, not least because he would be trading United for Arsenal but because it was against the Gunners where Rashford first burst onto the scene.

Amid a spate of injuries at Old Trafford, the Englishman was given his Premier League debut against Arsene Wenger’s side back in February 2016 and made an almighty impact, scoring twice.

Since then, Rashford has become one of the finest attacking players around. The aforementioned Gordon even reckons he is “one of the best players in the world.”

Given his record, it is hard to dispute that claim. This is a player with 297 Premier League appearances under his belt, a player with 89 top-flight goals in England. He has been one of the best players to come through the club’s academy.

To see him end up at Arsenal, therefore, would surely sting. Alas, Rashford wants to leave and they seem pretty powerless to stop it from happening.

How does he stack up compared to Trossard? Well, he’s certainly a more natural born goalscorer.

In the back end of his career, the Belgium international has endured a stickier last 18 months or so. From scoring 17 goals in 2023/24, he netted just eight Premier League goals last season and just six this term.

Rashford blows him away in that regard. The 28-year-old enjoyed a really fruitful time in Spain, bagging 14 goals and supplying his teammates with another 14 assists.

The deeper you dive into the data, the more you realise just how big an upgrade this would be.

In all of the stats that matter for a wide forward, Rashford reigns surpeme. He’s not just scoring and assisting more, but he’s creating more goal-scoring opportunities in general.

There’s also the general threat. Rashford amassed 1.5 dribbles per 90 in LaLiga during 2025/26, more than Trossard, and when it comes to progressive carrying, he ranks streets ahead.

In that regard, the diminutive Belgian ranks in the 53rd percentile for progressive carries while Rashford is in the 77th percentile. Essentially, the higher the number the better for metrics like this.

Some may well doubt Rashford’s attitude and his work rate but he is one of the game’s elite wingers. He could offer a huge amount on the left flank for Arteta’s side.