Arsenal have reached a €40m agreement with Club Brugge for winger Christos Tzolis. The 24-year-old returns to England after spells at Norwich and in Belgium.
Arsenal have reached a €40million (£34m) agreement with Club Brugge for the signing of winger Christos Tzolis.
The north London club are in the process of finalising a move for the 24-year-old Greek international. The Athletic reported on June 12 that Arsenal were exploring a deal, with sources suggesting a deal could be possible for around €40m.
Arsenal have been looking to strengthen their attack this summer. The pursuit of Tzolis is separate from any interest in signing Morgan Rogers from Aston Villa or other targets.
The departure of Leandro Trossard to Besiktas in a €20m deal was confirmed this week. Arsenal made an enquiry to Juventus over Kenan Yildiz but were informed he was not for sale, leading them to look at other options.
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Tzolis Returns to England After Norwich Spell
Crystal Palace made an approach for Tzolis last summer, but Brugge rejected the bid. The Greece international signed a new contract until 2029 shortly after.
A move to Arsenal would mark a return to England for Tzolis, having spent three seasons at Norwich City. He made 30 appearances in all competitions, including 14 in the Premier League, and had loan spells at Twente and Dusseldorf before joining Brugge in 2024.
Tzolis recorded 22 goals and 29 assists in 52 appearances last season for Brugge, who won the Belgian Pro League title for the 20th time. He has been capped 34 times for Greece, scoring nine goals.
Tzolis Fits Arteta’s Profile
Pace, physicality, versatility and defensive awareness have been the foundations of Arsenal’s recent success under Mikel Arteta. Tzolis checks all those boxes.
The big question is how well his qualities will translate to the Premier League after making little impact in his first crack at English football, albeit that was with a relegation-bound Norwich side when he was still a teenager.
Much of Tzolis’ accomplishments have come with space in front of him. Gabriel Martinelli similarly thrived when he had areas to occupy and scored 15 Premier League goals in 2022-23. He has struggled as spaces have become congested.
Tzolis’ ‘macro’ qualities suggest he will not be out of place back in the Premier League. But as with Viktor Gyokeres, patience will be key.