Leandro Trossard demands Brighton exit after being 'humiliated'
The agent of Leandro Trossard has demanded a move away from Brighton for his client this month, claiming the Belgium international has been targeted and ostracised at the AMEX.
Roberto De Zerbi previously confirmed Trossard would not be part of his squad for Saturday's game against Liverpool after left a training session without permission before the FA Cup win at Middlesbrough.
It was then reported on Friday Trossard had boarded a EuroTunnel service and left the United Kingdom.
Josy Comhair, Trossard's agent, then delivered a staggering response to De Zerbi's comments, claiming the 28-year-old had been unfairly frozen out of the squad after Trossard indicated a desire for "his next step".
It was also alleged a supposed bust-up between Trossard and a teammate led to De Zerbi giving Trossard the cold shoulder.
A statement read: “Before Leandro left for Qatar, Brighton's intention was to have Leandro sign on. This did not happen, as the parties did not come to an agreement. Leandro has also indicated that he is ready for his next step.
“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.
“Leandro still had a starting place against Southampton and Arsenal, but against Everton he was on the bench. He was also not included in the five substitutions that took place at the time, and this without any explanation.
“In the run-up to the game against Middlesbrough for the FA Cup, Leandro had already indicated twice that he had problems with his calf. This was the reason why he stopped training. This was, incidentally, in consultation with the medical staff.
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“The manager told Leandro that he had to train separately. Last Monday, the manager humiliated Leandro in 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. Incidentally, it is also the manager who has indicated several times that a transfer is the most convenient solution.
“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.”
Brighton recently triggered an option in Trossard's contract to extend it until June 2024, meaning they won't lose him for free this coming summer. 90min revealed Tottenham have asked to be kept informed on Trossard's status this month, though the Seagulls aren't planning to sell on the cheap.
Amidst all the drama, Brighton are in good shape to surpass the 51 points they managed last season when they came ninth, their best Premier League finish since promotion in 2017.