Arsenal has secured the services of Christos Tzolis, who recently had the best season of his career, contributing to 40 goals—17 of which were scored and 23 as assists—helping Club Brugge clinch the league title in Belgium.
Prior to his success at Brugge, Tzolis faced challenges during his tenure at Norwich City, where he only managed to score three goals in 30 appearances from 2021 to 2024.
During the 2023-24 season, he made a significant impact while on loan at Fortuna Dusseldorf in the German second division, where he found the net 24 times in 35 games before transferring to Club Brugge and establishing himself as a standout performer.
Since joining the Gunners, Tzolis has continued to impress, recently leading the team in passes into the final third in Cardiff. Despite lacking explosive pace, he has proven to be an effective player on the ball, earning praise from manager Mikel Arteta for his high work rate.
Tzolis fills the void left by Leandro Trossard, who moved to Besiktas in July. Arteta noted that there are notable similarities between the two players.
While Trossard had a higher goal involvement rate in last season’s Champions League, Tzolis stood out by creating nearly double the chances (13 to 7) and making more passes in the final third (138 versus 80).
For those familiar with Tzolis’ career trajectory, his standout performance comes as no surprise. Last season, he scored against top European teams such as Atalanta and Atletico Madrid and provided an assist against Barcelona.
- Did you know? Tzolis has managed to either score or assist in all 15 of his competitive outings since the beginning of March, racking up 10 goals and 15 assists.
Arsenal moved for Christos Tzolis after the best season of his career where he was involved in 40 goals, scoring 17 times and providing 23 assists as Club Brugge were crowned league champions in Belgium.
But before that there had been struggles, notably during his three years at Norwich, scoring just three times in 30 appearances between 2021-2024.
He impressed while on loan at German second-tier side Fortuna Dusseldorf in 2023-24, where he scored 24 goals in 35 games before he left Norwich for Club Brugge and became one of star players in the division.
Since then he has not looked back and Tzolis has developed to become one of the most reliable creators in Europe.
Alongside his two assists, he played more passes into the final third than anyone else in the Gunners team in Cardiff and, despite lacking noticeable pace, Tzolis is extremely effective while on the ball with his work-rate appreciated by manager Mikel Arteta.
Tzolis has replaced Leandro Trossard, who joined Besiktas in July, and Arteta has said there are similarities between the pair.
Trossard recorded more goal involvements in last season's Champions League, but the Greece international produced almost twice as many chances (13 compared to seven) and completed more passes in the final third (138 compared to 80).
Tzolis' performance will not be a surprise for those who have followed his career as he has proved he can shine against Europe's top sides already.
In last season's Champions League he scored against Atalanta and Atletico Madrid, while registering an assist against Barcelona.
- Did you know? Since the start of March, Tzolis has either scored or assisted in all 15 of his competitive appearances at club level (10 goals, 15 assists).
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