Leandro Trossard Arsenal exit truth as Albert Sambi Lokonga fee revealed

Arsenal turned down a late approach from Roma for Leandro Trossard in the final week of the summer transfer window. The Belgian forward recently signed a new contract with the Gunners, which only included a pay rise and will still expire in 2027.

The north London club wanted to acknowledge Trossard's contributions since his move from Brighton in January 2023. However, after he committed his future to Arsenal, Roma enquired about his availability, only to be informed that a transfer was off the table, reports the Mirror.

Borussia Dortmund and Turkish heavyweights Fenerbahce also expressed interest in the 30-year-old earlier in the window. There's a possibility that Trossard could seek a new challenge at the end of the season as he nears the final year of his Arsenal contract.

Meanwhile, questions linger over the long-term future of Gabriel Martinelli at the Emirates Stadium, despite Mikel Arteta's recent assertion that the Brazilian will be a "big, big player" for his team this season. Bayern Munich and Barcelona both had the 24-year-old on their radar but neither were prepared to fund moves and instead sought other targets.

However, it's believed that Arsenal will need to make a notable sale in the near future to protect their balance sheet, and Martinelli is among the top contenders to leave due to increased competition for spots in the squad following the recent signings of Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke.

In other news, it has been revealed that Arsenal offloaded midfielder Albert Sambi Lokonga to Hamburg for a mere initial £260,000. The Belgian's contract at the Emirates Stadium was due to expire next summer and the Gunners were keen to shift him following loan stints at Crystal Palace, Luton Town and Sevilla.

The financial details of the 25-year-old's deadline-day exit were initially kept under wraps but German sources have now disclosed that the fee was as low as £260,000, although there are some add-ons included.

Internally, Arsenal are working hard to increase the revenue they generate from player sales - a strategy that has gained increasing significance in the PSR era. However, in this case, they believed it was best to remove Lokonga's wages from their payroll as he was not part of Arteta's plans.

Hamburg also secured an option to purchase Arsenal loanee Fabio Vieira for over £17.4million (€20million) after the Portuguese attacking midfielder joined Lokonga in the Bundesliga on deadline day.

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