Christos Tzolis is on the verge of returning to the Premier League after Club Brugge boss Ivan Leko confirmed the Greek international is set to join Arsenal for a fee of £34 million.
Leko revealed that Tzolis, named Belgian Jupiler Pro League Player of the Year last season after scoring 22 goals and registering 29 assists, has been left out of Brugge’s pre-season friendly against Heerenveen on Friday as he finalises his move.
“Club Brugge boss Ivan Leko confirms Christos Tzolis is joining Arsenal for £34m after a stellar season.”
“It’s a fantastic example, someone who was first coming to the training base, whose last training session was like a game for him, giving so much for his career,” Leko said. “Then you get to go to sign for one of the biggest clubs in Europe, big thing for him, big thing for Club Brugge and big thing for Belgian football.”
The deal, worth a base fee of £34 million, represents a quick return to English football for Tzolis, who previously struggled at Norwich City before rebuilding his reputation at Brugge. Arsenal have reached a verbal agreement with the Belgian club, and once a formal offer is tabled — seen as a formality — the 24-year-old will undergo a medical and sign a long-term contract.
The move comes after the departure of Leandro Trossard to Besiktas, with sporting director Andrea Berta driving the deal after his assistant Maurizio Micheli watched Tzolis play for Greece against Sweden last month. Leko, while sad to lose a “top player,” backed Tzolis to succeed: “I am convinced that he will have his minutes that he will show on highest level in Premier League and Champions League that he will show he's a top player and that he absolutely deserves to be there.”
The signing is separate to Arsenal’s bid to land a high-profile forward this summer. The Gunners retain a long-term interest in Atletico Madrid’s Julian Alvarez, while Morgan Rogers of Aston Villa remains their preferred option for a versatile forward. Paris St-Germain’s Bradley Barcola is the alternative if a deal for Rogers, reportedly valued at £130 million, cannot be reached. Arsenal are also ready to step up their interest in Aston Villa’s Ezri Konsa and Crystal Palace’s Maxence Lacroix amid William Saliba’s back injury, though there is a large gap in valuation between what Villa would demand and what Arsenal are willing to pay.
