Roberto De Zerbi has insisted that he holds no grudge against Arsenal star Leandro Trossard as they prepare to come face to face on Sunday.
Trossard, 28, spent three-and-a-half years at Brighton and was a firm fans favourite before joining the Gunners in a £27million deal back in January. However, the versatile Belgium international's final days at the Amex were clouded by a bitter public bust-up with De Zerbi.
The Italian hit out at Trossard's attitude after he left a training session shortly before he left the south coast outfit, while the player's agent, Josy Comhair, claimed that De Zerbi had "humiliated" his client in front of his teammates after making it clear he "no longer wanted to see him".
Despite the messy nature of said exit, both the Seagulls and their former talisman have flourished since parting ways: Trossard has caught the eye in Arsenal's title challenge and Brighton are pushing for Europe after a stunning campaign.
Sunday's clash between Arsenal and Brighton will see the two come face to face for the first time since their bust-up - and De Zerbi was reluctant to dwell too much on the Seagulls' former star.
“Trossard is a fantastic player. He was a fantastic player when he played for us and he still is a fantastic player,” De Zerbi said in his pre-match press conference on Friday.
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“Now we have other players. I am proud for my players and I’m proud of my squad. I only want to speak about my players and don’t want to speak about players from other teams.”
After being pipped to a deal for Mykhaylo Mudryk by Chelsea, Mikel Arteta and the Arsenal hierarchy swiftly turned their attention to Trossard, who had just 18 months remaining on his deal at Brighton and was open to moving on.
Trossard has quickly established himself as a key player at the Emirates and has played a pivotal role in Arsenal's unlikely title challenge, registering one goal and eight assists in 17 Premier League appearances.
The forward's impressive form has seen him start ahead of the likes of Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Jesus at times, and Trossard himself admitted back in March that he was surprised at the amount of first-team action he had already clocked up following his blockbuster switch.
Trossard told Aol : “I maybe didn’t expect to make that many minutes, but injuries helped me a bit. I’m however more than convinced of my own capabilities, I arrived in a great group, filled with great players.
“That also makes it easier for new players to adapt and reach their levels. It was a very busy and weird period for me, but I’m very happy that I have been able to join Arsenal. I think it’s been a great step for me.”
