Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi fears Leandro Trossard's agent could be trying to force through a cut-price January exit. Newcastle United are among the clubs linked with the Belgian international who begun the season in fine fashion.
Trossard has a reported price tag of £25 million, and netted seven Premier League goals before the World Cup break. The 28-year-old then featured in all three of Belgium's World Cup fixtures as Roberto Martinez's side suffered a shock group-stage exit.
The in-form Brighton attacker was left out of the squad for the FA Cup third-round victory at Middlesbrough on January 7, with De Zerbi questioning his commitment before then dropping him for the clash with Liverpool. Trossard left training after not being included for the cup fixture, and his agent Josy Comhair insists this was due to a calf issue which club staff were aware of.
READ MORE: Leandro Trossard's agent issues transfer demand after Brighton row amid Newcastle United interest
Comhair added his client's relationship had broken down with De Zerbi, and indicated a January exit would be the 'most convenient solution'. Trossard's contract expires this summer, although the Seagulls hold an option to extend the deal by a further year.
Reports suggest Tottenham have already had a £12m bid turned down, and De Zerbi insists he would still welcome the attacker back into his squad. The Brighton boss believes Comhair's comments could be an attempt to engineer a cut-price mid-season transfer.
De Zerbi told Sussex Live: “Nothing special happened with Trossard. But if you don’t push to the max in training and in matches, maybe you have a personal problem, which you have to tell me, otherwise I can’t help you. But if you don’t tell me anything, football is a serious matter, it must be respected: football gives everything, but you have to give it everything.
“That is to say, commit yourself 100 per cent. If someone doesn’t do it, I’ll let them know. Trossard’s agent can say what he wants. Maybe he’s doing this to take away the player for a less amount of money to another team. Of course, Trossard didn’t tell me the truth.
“Everyone in the dressing room knows what the reality is, and what happened. I don’t have to apologize. Having said that, it’s not a closed issue for me. If Trossard comes back and does things right, I’m willing to let him play. But it’s not up to me, it’s up to him.”
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