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Brighton attacker Leandro Trossard feels humiliated by manager, Roberto De Zerbi and wants to leave the club, says agent.
Leandro Trossard wants to leave Brighton and feels he has been “humiliated” by Roberto De Zerbi, according to a statement released by the player’s agent on Friday.
Trossard wants out
The announcement from the Belgium international’s agent, Josy Comhair, came after Brighton’s manager said Trossard would not be involved against Liverpool on Saturday because of his attitude.
Trossard is in the final six months of his contract at Brighton, but the club have the option of extending it by another year. However, the player has now been banished from first-team training after issues with the manager.
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The player, who has attracted interest from Tottenham and Manchester United this month, was said by De Zerbi to have left a training session early last week without saying anything to him, after being told he would not start the FA Cup third-round tie against Middlesbrough.
“It’s not good,” De Zerbi said in his pre-match press conference on Friday. “The Monday after, I spoke with him and I explained this attitude, this behaviour, I don’t like.” The Italian added that he was open to reconciliation with the player, but the subsequent statement appears to have made that highly unlikely.
Trossard exit best for both parties
Comhair claims De Zerbi stopped speaking to Trossard weeks ago after a training incident and has firmly come out to dispute the manager’s version of last week’s events. The agent also states that upon evaluation of the situation, a transfer in January “is the most convenient solution” and would be “beneficial for both parties”.
“In the run-up to the match against Middlesbrough for the FA Cup, Leandro had already indicated twice that he had problems with his calf,” Comhair added. “This was the reason why he stopped training. This was, incidentally, in consultation with the medical staff. The manager told Leandro that he had to train separately.
“Last Monday, the manager humiliated Leandro in the group and indicated that he no longer wanted to see him. A manager who has not communicated directly with his player for four weeks is really incomprehensible.
“It is also the manager who has indicated several times that a transfer is the most convenient solution,” the statement added. “It is therefore important that Brighton cooperates with a potential transfer during this transfer period and shows a benevolent attitude, which is beneficial to both parties.”
Comhair said Brighton had tried before the World Cup to extend Trossard’s contract beyond 2024 but no agreement was reached and the player “has also indicated that he is ready for his next step”.
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“After the World Cup there was an altercation between Leandro and a player in training over a trivial matter. Since then the manager no longer speaks to Leandro, which is obviously not conducive to the atmosphere, nor is it performance-oriented.”
What next for Brighton?
Brighton have not yet offered an official response to Comhair’s statement but it is believed the club would be open to a sale as long as the price is deemed acceptable.
The Premier League club confirmed a new arrival on Friday, after completing a deal to sign 20-year-old playmaker Facundo Buonanotte from Rosario Central.
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