Turkish giants close to agreeing personal terms with Arsenal star

Arsenal begin their pre-season preparations with a friendly against Spanish side Girona on August 1. 

Mikel Arteta’s Premier League champions will also play Real Betis in another friendly, before facing Borussia Dortmund in the final of the non-competitive Emirates Cup.

The Gunners then face rivals Manchester City in the Community Shield, before hosting newly-promoted Coventry City in the opening match of the new Premier League season.

In the meantime, though, it has emerged that one member of Arteta’s squad is nearing an exit from The Emirates.

As reported by journalist Ben Jacobs, Turkish Super Lig giants Besiktas are close to finalising an agreement on personal terms with Arsenal winger Leandro Trossard.

Trossard looks set to join Turkish side Besiktas (Photo: Independent Photo Agency/Alamy)

Jacobs claims that the two clubs have already reached an agreement in principle on a deal for the winger worth an initial fee of around £15 million, plus an additional £1.7 million.

Trossard joined Arsenal from Brighton and Hove Albion three years ago and has since made 174 appearances for the club across all competitions, scoring 36 goals and registering 34 assists.

The Belgium international featured 31 times in the Premier League last term as Arteta’s side won the title, but Jacobs claims that he now looks increasingly likely to complete a move to Turkey, with Besiktas ‘confident’ of reach an agreement.

Trossard’s contract at The Emirates is set to expire at the end of the upcoming season, and it appears that Arsenal have opted to cash in on the attacker now in order to avoid losing him for free next year.

Jacobs also claims that Saudi side Al-Diriyah – who had been linked with a move for the Belgian – never actually made an offer for the player.

This summer, the former Brighton man scored twice and provided three assists for Belgium at the World Cup in North America.