Brighton are taking some big strides under their new coach Roberto De Zerbi, and Leonardo Trossard is the one who has evidently benefitted the most from the Italian’s appointment. De Zerbi took over the Seagulls after Graham Potter left for Chelsea in September. Since he assumed the job, De Zerbi has been hailed for his tactical switch at the club which has witnessed Brighton inflict defeats on Chelsea and Arsenal, and draw away at Liverpool.
Leonardo Trossard has led the charge for De Zerbi, being the top scorer for his team under the new coach with 5 goals in 7 games. Moreover, the Belgian is having a season for himself, having amassed 10 goal involvements [7 goals and 3 assists] in 13 Premier League outings so far. That has also earned him a well-deserved World Cup call up with Belgium, with rumours now suggesting that next on the cards for the 27-year-old could be a move to Chelsea. Trossard has directly addressed the talks, with his response probably sending Chelsea fans into a frenzy.
Leonardo Trossard ready to follow Potter to Chelsea
Leonardo Trossard has certainly placed himself on the radars of some top English clubs, after bursting into the form of his life. Londoners Chelsea and Arsenal are reportedly ready to swoop in the winger, who could be available for free next summer when his current Brighton deal expires. Although the Seagulls have an option to extend Trossard’s contract by another 12 months, they will rather look to reward him a brand new long term contract.
However, the World Cup bound player’s intentions are to make it big at the very fist opportunity, as he explains in response to Chelsea links. Leonardo Trossard may be flourishing under De Zerbi, but it was Potter who uplifted his game to the level it is at today. The 27-year-old scored 20 goals and provided 14 assists under Potter in 117 games, his second best record under a manager. Speaking to Het Laatste Nieuws, Trossard on Chelsea rumours said:
“Chelsea have in any case not yet reported. Not with Brighton and not with me. I have to wait and see. I want to finish strong at Brighton and leave for Qatar with that good feeling.”
Back in September though, the winger had said of Potter’s departure to the Blues and a potential reunion with him:
“Our coach [Graham Potter] has now left for Chelsea, but speculations about me following him are pointless. If the opportunity arises, I want to go. But I do want to not play and sit on the couch. It’s very difficult to answer that [a move away from Brighton]. That will have to wait until [after the World Cup]. I’m not on it at all right now. Brighton and the World Cup are the next goals. Afterwards, we’ll see where it ends.
“It [Potter leaving for Chelsea] all happened quite quickly. One day we heard Tuchel was fired and that Graham was up there to take his place. For us it was a bit of a shock, but we knew that maybe one day he could go because he is a brilliant manager. At the beginning it was a bit strange, but now with the new coach we need to move on as a club and as players.
“That was very strange, because I’ve always played under Potter at Brighton and have got better year after year. You go through the full preparation and suddenly a new coach is there in September. Then you don’t know what to expect, but the reactions about De Zerbi were only positive. He really wants to play football and the way he wants to play suits me perfectly.”
Trossard’s comments would have definitely instilled a sense of confidence in the Blues, who are eyeing a deal for him. After a dream start, where he went undefeated in his first five league games with Chelsea, Potter has now faced back to back losses against his former side Brighton and arch rivals Arsenal. Chelsea are slated to hand in their manager a significant budget to spend in the upcoming winter market, with Trossard leading his wish-list.