Arsenal's New Winger Christos Tzolis: A Ready-Made Star
Arsenal’s new winger Christos Tzolis has barely unpacked in north London, but the noise around him is already deafening – and much of it is coming from inside the club.
The 24-year-old Greece international arrived at the Emirates Stadium in July in a £34m deal from Club Brugge, signed on a long-term contract after Mikel Arteta reshaped his forward line by sanctioning the departure of Leandro Trossard and putting Gabriel Martinelli up for sale.
Arteta wanted a wide player who could raise the level. Arsenal’s hierarchy are convinced they’ve got exactly that.
Arsenal rave about their “ready-made product”
Sporting director Andrea Berta set the tone when the deal was announced, backing Tzolis to “raise the technical level of our squad” and bring a “strong mentality to our team”. Those inside the Emirates have doubled down on that message in private.
During last month’s Champions League draw in Monaco, Arsenal officials crossed paths with their counterparts from Club Brugge and wasted no time in delivering their verdict on the winger.
Bart Verhaeghe, president of the Belgian club, says the praise was emphatic.
“At the Champions League draw, I saw people from Arsenal and they showed a tremendous amount of respect,” Verhaeghe told Het Belang van Limburg. “ ‘What a player you’ve delivered,’ they told me. They said he has an excellent attitude, is the best in the physical tests and is a great guy, too.”
In a separate interview with Het Laatste Nieuws, Verhaeghe repeated the same message he heard from Arsenal staff.
“Arsenal said ‘what a player’ when they approached me after the draw,” he revealed. “Christos had come out on top in all the tests. That’s what we do here: deliver a ready-made product. Because we know what those top teams are looking for. We prepare our players for that kind of football.”
For Club Brugge, Tzolis has become a showcase of a philosophy that was once mocked.
“Back then, people laughed at our holistic approach to nutrition, sleep, special glasses… Today, it’s all standard practice. We were the innovators from day one, and we’ll keep innovating,” Verhaeghe said. “Today, we’re selling players to Arsenal and Inter Milan, two teams that have reached the Champions League final in the last two years. And at the same time, we’re recruiting directly from the Premier League, from a club like West Ham. Ten years ago, that was unthinkable.”
Dominating the tests, flying into the season
The numbers behind the praise are coming from Arsenal’s own training ground.
Tzolis has started fast, helping the Premier League champions win their first four league games of the season heading into Wednesday’s Champions League opener against Napoli. Inside the camp, his impact has been measured in more than just goals and assists.
Ben White lifted the lid on what those early days looked like.
“Christos has been amazing,” the England defender said last month. “He came in, did all the testing, and beat everyone. So he is fitting in really well and everyone is really happy for him to be here.”
That matches the feedback Verhaeghe received in Monaco: best in the physical tests, top in the data, and popular in the dressing room.
Rio Ferdinand’s bold prediction
Outside Arsenal, the performances have caught the eye as well. Rio Ferdinand has already nailed his colours to the mast and put Tzolis at the front of the queue for individual acclaim this season.
“Who is the best signing of the transfer window? From what I’ve seen so far, I’m going to go for Tzolis,” the former Manchester United defender said on his YouTube channel.
“For the price you got him for, £35m, from what I’ve seen, jinky little winger, great vision, making good decisions in the final third. I think, great bit of business done by the recruitment team at Arsenal. I’m going to go early, I’m going to say he’s going to be my signing of the season, as in terms of value, and in terms of what he does.”
The hype is clear. So is the expectation.
Arsenal believe they have secured a winger who can match their ambitions at home and in Europe. The next test arrives against Napoli under the Champions League lights, where Tzolis will discover whether this blistering start can carry onto the biggest stage of all.
