Christos Tzolis will have felt light years from the Emirates Stadium when he was playing for Norwich City's reserves, the lowest point of a career that had once seemed destined for the summit. Three years on, Arsenal have completed a £34m signing of the Greece international from Club Brugge, installing him as the man to replace Leandro Trossard after the Belgian's move to Besiktas.
The 24-year-old's transformation has been staggering. At Norwich, he scored just three goals in 30 appearances across a three-year spell that included loan stints at Twente and Fortuna Dusseldorf. “It was the hardest year of my career,” Tzolis said of his time at Carrow Road. But a move to Club Brugge in 2024 unlocked the talent that had attracted Barcelona before he joined Norwich. Last season, he was directly involved in a league-high 40 goals — 17 goals and 23 assists — as Brugge won the Belgian title. He also created more chances (135) than any other player in the top flight and recorded the most progressive carries (359) and successful dribbles (40).
“Arsenal complete £34m signing of Christos Tzolis from Club Brugge as the Greece forward returns to the Premier League.”
Arsenal's sporting director Andrea Berta described Tzolis as “an extremely versatile attacking player who naturally operates on the left but is comfortable across the front line”. Tzolis, who scored against Atalanta and Atletico Madrid in the Champions League, said: “It's absolutely amazing to sign for such a big club, the champions of England.” He added that he had a “nice conversation” with manager Mikel Arteta, in which they discussed “his plans, about myself, about the team”.
The signing is Arsenal's third permanent deal of the summer, following Piero Hincapié and goalkeeper Illan Meslier. But the arrival comes as Arteta deals with a major setback: defender William Saliba has been ruled out for an “extensive period” with a back problem that curtailed his World Cup. The France international's absence will test a squad that now includes a forward who has proven that even the most difficult starts can be rewritten.
