Arsenal sign Christos Tzolis in £34m deal as Trossard replacement

Arsenal have completed the signing of Greek winger Christos Tzolis from Club Brugge for £34m, a record fee for the Belgian Pro League. The 24-year-old has signed a five-year contract and will wear the No 17 shirt as Mikel Arteta’s side look to replace Leandro Trossard, who left for Besiktas in a £17m deal.

Profile and production

Tzolis is a direct, two-footed attacker who can play across the front line but is strongest starting from the left and cutting inside. Last season he recorded 17 goals and 23 assists in 36 Belgian Pro League appearances, and over three seasons at Brugge he posted 43 goals and 45 assists in 108 matches, underlining his output as both a scorer and creator.

Sporting director Andrea Berta described him as “extremely versatile”, an excellent finisher in tight spaces with high technical ability and strong defensive work. Tzolis said: “I’m a direct player, I go for goals or assists… I work hard for the team, also in the defensive part.”

Why Arsenal view him as a Trossard replacement

Analysis from Sky Sports highlights three key similarities with Trossard:

• Profile: Like Trossard, Tzolis is nominally a left winger but can operate as a No 10, drifting inside to attack the box. He is most dangerous when starting wide and then finding moments to get central.
• Availability: Tzolis had an exemplary injury record at Brugge, rarely missing games despite a high work rate and heavy schedule including Champions League football, mirroring Trossard’s reliability at Arsenal.
• Competitiveness: Former coaches point to his intensity and desire to win, alongside a noted area for improvement in “emotional stability”, echoing Arteta’s affectionate description of Trossard as “a bit of a moaner” in training and to officials.

Context in Arsenal’s wider window

Tzolis was not Arsenal’s first choice. Morgan Rogers was identified as the top attacking target, but he completed a British-record £117m move to Chelsea instead. With Rogers gone, Arsenal have turned to Tzolis as a direct Trossard replacement while continuing to pursue a marquee forward, with Paris St-Germain’s Bradley Barcola among their remaining targets.

At 24, with a strong goal-and-assist record in Europe and nine goals in 34 appearances for Greece, Tzolis is being signed as a ready-made contributor who can slot into Arsenal’s left-sided role immediately while giving Arteta more rotation and tactical flexibility across the front line.