Arsenal hold talks to sign Man United star

Leandro Trossard’s form in 2026 was one of the main reasons why Arsenal began to falter in the race to win the Premier League title.

Although the Gunners finally got over the line, and we have to thank the Belgian for his goal at West Ham which proved to be important, he was a passenger for large parts of the season.

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

In reality, however, Mikel Arteta’s forward line did not shout for title winners for most of 2025/26. While Viktor Gyokeres scored 21 times in the league and cup, the Swede left a lot to be desired with his regular performances.

Likewise, Noni Madueke struggled in his first year, scoring just three goals in the top flight. Five of Eberechi Eze’s ten goals have come against Spurs as well. Those were magical times but he didn’t set the world on fire.

It explains why Arsenal could not rebuild their attack this summer.

Arsenal are holding talks about signing young players

Who the Gunners decide to bring in this summer will be interesting. The top target at the moment seems to be Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers. Reports say that talks have started with his camp.

That said, he’s not the only forward who’s catching the eye. Reports from Italy this week actually claim that the Gunners have made an inquiry for Juventus star Kenan Yildiz, but he has faced opposition from the Serie A side.

PSG’s Bradley Barcola has also been considered an option and Anthony Gordon was also mentioned before he left for Barcelona.

With a price tag of £100m, Rogers will not come cheap which explains why other options are being considered.

One of those included Marcus Rashford of Manchester United. Wouldn’t this be a scary move? Well, it’s one that might have legs if you believe TEAMtalk.

Rashford looked set to rejoin Barcelona after his 2025/26 loan spell but the arrival of England team-mate Gordon has put that in jeopardy.

Under the terms of his LaLiga loan, there was a £26m buyout option but Barca wanted to negotiate a lower fee. After that, it looks like he will return to United before the World Cup.

That is unless the suitor comes forward. TEAMtalk notes that Arsenal and Chelsea are two clubs contacted by Rashford’s representatives regarding a possible move.

Clubs in the Saudi Pro League are also close, as are Bayern Munich, PSG and Atletico Madrid.

How Rashford compares to Trossard

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

Amidst a string of injuries at Old Trafford, the Englishman was given his Premier League debut against Arsene Wenger’s side in February 2016 and was a force to be reckoned with, scoring twice.

Since then, Rashford has been one of the best attacking players. The aforementioned Gordon even considers himself “one of the best players in the world.”

Given his track record, it’s hard to argue with that claim. This is a player who has played 297 Premier League games under his belt, he is a player who has scored 89 goals in the top league in England. He was one of the best players to come through the club’s academy.

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

How did he compare to Trossard? Well, he is a natural born goalscorer.

At the end of his career, the Belgian international has endured a stint in the past 18 months. Since scoring 17 goals in 2023/24, he only conceded eight goals in the Premier League last season and just six this season.

Rashford beats him for that. The 28-year-old has enjoyed a fruitful spell in Spain, scoring 14 goals and providing a further 14 assists for his teammates.

The deeper you dig into the data, the more you see how big of an improvement this can be.

In all the important statistics for a wide striker, Rashford dominates. Not only does he score goals and assists a lot, but he creates more scoring opportunities in general.

There is also a general threat. Rashford has accumulated 1.5 dribbles in 90 in LaLiga in 2025/26, more than Trossard, and when it comes to continuous management, he is leading the way.

For that reason, the diminutive Belgian is ranked in the 53rd percentile for progressive cars while Rashford is in the 77th percentile. Basically, the higher the number the better for metrics like these.

Some may question Rashford’s form and level of work but he is one of the best players in the game. He can contribute a lot on the left side to Arteta’s side.