Christos Tzolis is officially an Arsenal player.
The 24-year-old Greek international has signed a contract until 2031 after completing a £34million move from Club Brugge.
He becomes Arsenal’s first outfield signing of the summer and is their direct replacement for Leandro Trossard, who joined Besiktas earlier this month.
Tzolis joins having rebuilt his career in Belgium after a difficult three-year spell at Norwich between 2021 and 2024.
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👀
He departs Brugge having contributed 43 goals and 45 assists in 108 appearances, including a standout last season as the club were crowned Belgian champions.
He has already been in pre-season training with Brugge and played in friendlies, meaning he can hit the ground running ahead of Arsenal’s first pre-season fixture at Girona next week.
Speaking to Arsenal’s official media after completing his move, Tzolis gave Mikel Arteta exactly the kind of answer the Arsenal manager would want to hear.
“I’m a direct player, I go for goals or assists,” he said. “That’s my point of view as an attacker, as a winger.
“I’m always hungry to score or to give the final pass to my teammates. And I can say I work hard for the team, also in the defensive part.”
Mikel Arteta will love Christos Tzolis’ defensive work rate
Arteta has always demanded hard defensive work from his wide players. It is non-negotiable, as he would say.
Trossard, Bukayo Saka, and Gabriel Martinelli, all track back and press relentlessly, and that is part of why Arsenal’s defensive structure functions so well.
Who does Christos Tzolis remind you of? Is he anything like Arsenal star Bukayo Saka?
Tzolis flagging his defensive work rate as a strength in his very first interview suggests he already understands what is expected of him at the Emirates.
It is a small detail, but one that should put him in good stead with the manager.
Andrea Berta described him as “an extremely versatile attacking player” with “incredible technical ability” and “a strong mentality.”
An hour-long conversation with Arteta about the club, the team and the plans appears to have left Tzolis clear on what his role will be.
The early signs are encouraging.
Receive a digest of our best Arsenal content each week direct to your mailbox
