Arsenal are looking to strengthen their attack this summer after clinching the Premier League title for the first time in 22 years.
Leandro Trossard played a key role in that triumph, scoring a vital late goal away at West Ham that felt like a turning point in the title race.
The Belgian was celebrating again weeks later as Arsenal sealed the championship in front of their away support at Selhurst Park, a moment that will live long in the memory.
However, with Trossard now aged 31 and having gone 25 matches without a goal before that West Ham strike, Arsenal are ready to find an upgrade on the winger.
AC Milan’s Rafael Leao has emerged as a serious option, with the Portuguese wide man revealing last weekend that he had decided the time was right to leave the San Siro.
According to Corriere dello Sport, Leao is dreaming of a Premier League move, with Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea all specifically named as clubs he is keen on joining.
Milan are hoping to receive around £43m for the 26-year-old, a figure that represents genuine value compared to other targets currently on Arsenal’s radar.
Mikel Arteta’s primary attacking target this summer is reported to be Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers, but the England international carries a transfer valuation in the region of £100m.
Leao offers a compelling and more affordable alternative, having been described as “one of the best left wingers in the world” by Como scout Ben Mattinson.
Milan coach Stefano Pioli has previously likened the winger to “an early Thierry Henry” for the way he cuts inside from the left onto his right foot.
In the 2024/25 season, Leao outperformed Trossard across virtually every key metric, registering 0.4 goals per 90 minutes compared to Trossard’s 0.3, while also creating 2.3 chances per game against the Belgian’s 1.5.
Leao also completed 2.3 take-ons per 90 minutes to Trossard’s 1.4 and won 6.0 duels per game compared to his potential replacement’s 4.4, painting the picture of a more physically dominant and dynamic operator.
The season before last, Leao registered 15 goals and 12 assists for Milan, followed by 12 goals and 11 assists the following campaign, demonstrating his consistent ability to contribute at the highest level.
Trossard, by contrast, signed for Arsenal for just £27m and genuinely delivered on that fee, scoring as many as 17 goals during the 2023/24 season and contributing in countless big moments.
That same season, the Belgian scored crucial goals against Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester United and a vital equaliser against Bayern Munich in the Champions League knockout stages.
Yet his form has visibly dwindled since that peak, and with Arsenal needing to back up their Premier League title with a stronger attacking unit, the timing feels right for a change.
Arsenal were made to look second-best in attack during the Champions League final against PSG last Saturday, with the gap between the two forward lines difficult to ignore.
Leao’s ability to isolate full-backs, drive at opponents and win duels at pace makes him exactly the kind of game-changing wide player that Arteta is searching for this summer.
At £43m, Arsenal would be acquiring a player who is younger, physically more imposing and statistically superior to the man he would likely replace in the squad.
If Leao gets his Premier League wish, the Emirates Stadium would appear to be the most natural destination for a winger of his quality and ambition.