Tottenham reportedly decided against rivaling Arsenal for the signature of Leandro Trossard in January.
Trossard was one of three January signings for the Gunners, as Polish defender Jakub Kiwior and Italian midfielder Jorginho also joined Mikel Arteta’s squad.
Arsenal paid Brighton £27m for Trossard, according to Sky Sports.
The Athletic claims that Spurs had also been interested in signing Trossard but they were not willing to get close to Brighton’s asking price as they felt the 28-year-old would not have sufficient resale value due to his age.
Spurs signed two players in January – both younger than Trossard.
Dutch forward Arnaut Danjuma, 26, and Spanish right-back Pedro Porro, 23, joined Spurs on initial loan deals until the end of the season.
Spurs have options to sign both players permanently in the summer.
This highlights the contrasting approaches of Arsenal and Tottenham in the transfer market, with Arsenal showing a willingness to invest in a player who has the potential to deliver in order to improve while they are at the top, while Tottenham appears to be more focused on ensuring they get a good return on their investment.
Despite his impressive form for the Seagulls this season, where he scored 7 goals and provided 3 assists, Trossard has yet to make an impact for his new club.
The 28-year-old made his third appearance for the Gunners in Saturday’s 1-0 defeat at Everton. He had also featured in a 1-0 loss eight days earlier when Arsenal exited the FA Cup at the hands of Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City.
