"We can play well without him": Roberto De Zerbi offers his comments on Arsenal's new signing Leandro Trossard

Albion accepted a £27 million offer from Arsenal for the Belgium winger on Thursday (January 19), with the deal all but done after the player agreed personal conditions with the North London club.

The deal ends a saga which has been raging once since the end of the 2022 World Cup, culminating in a very public fall-out between De Zerbi and Trossard last week.

De Zerbi said: “The situation was difficult because I understood he wanted to leave. I am sorry for the last period because I prefer when people are clear, not when there are some different behaviours.

"But we will see. I think we are a good team, we can play well with or without Leo [Trossard]."

Trossard will sign a four-year-deal with the North London club, having turned down two other teams to sign for current Premier League leaders.

The winger had scored seven and assisted three in 16 games for Brighton this season, but has not played since featuring in the Seagulls’ 4-2 defeat to Arsenal on New Year’s Eve.

De Zerbi dropped the 28-year-old from his matchday squad for Albion’s 3-0 victory over Liverpool last weekend, claiming to have issues with the player’s attitude and behaviour in training.

Trossard was also reportedly made to train alone as punishment for leaving a training session early after finding out he wasn't in the starting line-up for Albion’s FA Cup tie with Middlesbrough.

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Last Friday, Trossard’s agent Josy Comhair released a statement announcing that a transfer away from the Amex Stadium would be the best solution for the winger.

De Zerbi was unsure on whether Albion would replace Trossard this month, but said there was always an opportunity to improve the squad when the window was open.

The Brighton manager said: “I think in the transfer market window you can always improve and buy new players. But we are at a good level now. The players in the squad are very good players and it's not so easy to improve this squad.

"But if Tony [Bloom] and the club have the possibility to improve the squad we will do something.”