When Arsenal's £80m pursuit of Mykhailo Mudryk culminated in the signing of Brighton's Leandro Trossard, the immediate reaction from the fanbase was one of disappointment.
The Gunners were viewed by the general public to have missed out on one of football's most exciting young talents, an explosive winger from Shakhtar Donetsk who ended up in west London as one of rivals Chelsea's multiple big-money signings of recent years.
Arsenal spent a much lower fee of £27m to bring Trossard to the Emirates in a deal that has proven to be great value for money, with the Belgian enjoying a fruitful start to life in red and white.
In 20 games throughout the 2022/23 run-in, the Belgian scored one and assisted a further 10 goals as Arsenal ultimately fell short at the end of an impressive league challenge.
Amongst those contributions, a hattrick of assists in the first half against Fulham at Craven Cottage, making Trossard the first player in Premier League history to collate three assists in the first half of an away game - some creative statement.
So far this season, he has continued to prove why he was the correct signing for Mikel Arteta's side after all. Three goals and an assist in the league, alongside a further three goal contributions in the Champions League.
Let's not forget Trossard's all-important equalising goal in the Community Shield, which saw Arsenal take treble-winners Manchester City all the way to penalties, beating them to take the glory at Wembley Stadium.
In football, stats, of course, run deeper than goals and assists - using data provided by FBref, it's clear to see that Leandro Trossard's underlying figures have also caught the eye.
Touching upon a previous statistic, the 28-year-old's 0.65 assists per 90 minutes puts him in the 99th percentile of Premier League forwards.
The versatile attacker's 3.40 shot-creating actions demonstrate his excellent eye for a pass, and his 1.13 progressive carries show his ability to bring his team forward with quality.
Arteta's forwards must have defensive prowess, too - his side are a collective unit, with each player working as hard as the other to win the ball back and disrupt play.
Trossard makes 0.92 tackles, 0.524 interceptions, and 1.62 blocks per 90, making him a key player for his team's style of play, and putting him amongst the best defensive forwards in the league.
With Gabriel Martinelli above him in the pecking order, the Belgian's quality and importance are often overlooked. After all, Martinelli is making a case for himself as one of the best left-wingers in the world.
When the Brazilian picked up an injury against Everton earlier on in the season, it was his replacement Trossard who found a massive goal to secure the Gunners their first win at Goodison Park since 2017.
Off the bench once again, he netted the 84th-minute equalising goal against Chelsea, a game in which a very disappointing Arsenal were undoubtedly lucky to come away with anything at all.
It's not just deciding goals that Trossard had won the Gunners games through. It's also his tenacity, his off-the-ball runs, his pass-and-play movements, and his ability to make others simply play better.
It's also his versatility. Leandro Trossard's best position is still up for debate. Should he play on the left or through the middle? Or perhaps even as an attack-minded midfielder?
Wherever he is asked to perform, he performs.
I'll say it: Trossard has been a better signing than Mudryk would've been.
Not just for the fee, which allowed Arsenal to spend big in the summer and make one of their best signings of the Emirates era in Declan Rice, but for his undisputed impact.
Nobody knows for sure what Mudryk could've offered Arsenal in the last 10 months, but judging by his start to life at Stamford Bridge (albeit in a worse team), it's hard to argue against Trossard.
Despite the big moments he has produced so far in north London, though, the Belgian is often overlooked. It's rare to see people speak of him as highly as a player like him warrants.
Perhaps he is simply a victim to the incredible young talent that Arteta has to his disposal.
22-year old Martinelli in his position, 21-year-old Saka, 22-year-old Saliba, 23-year-old Odegaard, and 24-year-old Rice all excite fans and pundits alike more than 28-year-old Trossard.
His age was actually a big reason as to why a lot of Arsenal fans didn't want to bring him to the Emirates. The club are building a team for the future, and perhaps a signing like Trossard seemed like a step in the wrong direction.
But you can't have a future without a present.
His importance should not be understated - without such a brilliant 'backup' option, Arsenal may well have found themselves much worse off in the last 303 days.
When Arsenal need Trossard, Trossard delivers. A smart acquisition, and an unsung Gunners hero.
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