Leandro Trossard reveals why he was surprised after Arsenal transfer amid Mikel Arteta warning

Leandro Trossard became an Arsenal player in the January transfer window after sealing a £27million move to the Emirates Stadium to bolster Mikel Arteta's squad

Arsenal star Leandro Trossard has revealed what has surprised him the most since joining Mikel Arteta's squad in the January transfer window. The Belgian forward was signed from Brighton after completing a £27million move to the Emirates Stadium, offering competition in attack against the likes of Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka.

The Gunners wanted to add a new attacker to the squad in January following Gabriel Jesus' knee injury which he sustained during the World Cup in Qatar. The Brazilian striker was sidelined for over three months but has now returned to fitness at a key stage in the season.

Speaking ahead of Belgium's Euro 2024 qualifier against Sweden on Friday, Trossard told Aol: “I maybe didn’t expect to make that many minutes, but injuries helped me a bit.

"I am however more than convinced of my own capabilities. I arrived in a great group, filled with great players -that also makes it easier for new players to adapt and reach their levels.

"It was a very busy and weird period for me, but I’m very happy that I have been able to join Arsenal. I think it’s been a great step for me."

Speaking after the match, the Arsenal boss said: “It's great to have him [Jesus] back, but he has to earn his place like in any other team. We have alternatives who can play in different positions and we have different goals as well to fill in relation to the chemistry of the players and what we ask them to do - it's a great problem to have, believe me.

“We try to adapt to the quality of players that we have, to put them in their strengths and position where we want as much as possible. Leo [Leandro Trossard] has very different qualities to Gabi, Martin [Odegaard] complements him really well in terms of the space and understanding with him - it's great to have that versatility.”

Trossard is enjoying one of his best seasons in the Premier League and will hope he can continue to make an impact and help the Gunners lift their first title since 2004. The Belgian forward has been able to adapt quickly and arguably been one of the reasons for Martinelli's improvement in performances after the Brazilian was suffering from a goal drought prior to Trossard's arrival in January.

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