Arsenal are about to sign Christos Tzolis as a replacement for Leandro Trossard.
The Premier League winners sold the Belgium international to Besiktas a few days ago and are short of options on the left flank.
Tzolis is the chosen one to fill Trossard’s shoes, and the Club Brugge star shares a lot of similarities with the now-departed Arsenal champion.
Here are a few of them…
Imagine you are Andrea Berta. Who is your top target for Arsenal in the summer transfer window?
Five similarities Arsenal-bound Christos Tzolis shares with Leandro Trossard
The Belgian connection:
Leandro Trossard became a well-known name in Europe thanks to his performances in the Belgian Pro League with Genk.
Christos Tzolis has done exactly that with Club Brugge. He has been outstanding for them and even won the Player of the Year award in Belgium.
Now, like Trossard, Tzolis is on his way to the Premier League, and there is every chance he will have a similar impact.
Versatility:
Trossard mainly played as a left-winger for Arsenal, but he also featured as a false nine, a number 10 and even on the right wing.
Tzolis is extremely similar in this regard. The Greece international mostly played on the left flank for Brugge, but he has also been used as a striker, an attacking midfielder and a right winger.
That sort of versatility makes him a great asset, just like Trossard was for Mikel Arteta.
Style of attack:
Both Trossard and Tzolis are inverted wingers.
The Belgian held his width when he had to at Arsenal, but his best work came when he drifted inside and attacked the box more centrally.
Tzolis’ style of play is very similar, and almost every time he cut inside for Brugge last season, he caused problems for the opposition.
Shooting:
Trossard’s biggest asset was his finishing. The Belgian was capable of scoring a variety of goals with both feet and was a threat from distance as well.
Tzolis is exactly the same. The Arsenal-bound winger scored for fun last season, netting 22 times in all competitions.
Some of his strikes were out of this world, with his power from distance in particular catching our eye.
How many goals and assists will Christos Tzolis end his debut season at Arsenal with?
He scored 22 goals and provided 29 assists last season👀
Clutch:
Trossard was often described as a clutch player at Arsenal because of his ability to deliver in big moments. In fact, he scored the goal that eventually won the Gunners the Premier League title.
Tzolis shares a similar trait.
In the pressure cooker playoff system in Belgium, where the winner of these games is crowned the champion, Tzolis dominated.
The attacker scored eight goals and provided 10 assists to help Brugge win the Belgian Pro League title. It wouldn’t have happened without him.
Arsenal will miss Trossard’s clutch moments, but in Tzolis, they are about to have another player who can do just that. That could be a game-changer next season.
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