Arsenal's recruitment of Christos Tzolis, the first rookie since they won the Premier League last season, surprised many people. Perhaps no one is more surprised than Norwich City fans.
In 2021, Tzolis joined Norwich for a club record fee of £10 million. However, consecutive injuries caused him to only play 30 times in 2 years before almost disappearing from the English football map.
Ironically, Tzolis' Premier League debut took place right at the Emirates Stadium in September 2021, when Mikel Arteta's Arsenal was at the bottom of the table after the first three rounds.
4 years later, the Greek striker returned to England in the colors of the Premier League champions. Before that, he had an explosive season with Club Brugge with 22 goals and 29 assists in all competitions.
Arsenal had to spend £34 million to own Tzolis, making him the most expensive Greek player in history and the most valuable overseas transfer from the Belgian national championship.
Direct replacement Leandro Trossard
Tzolis is considered a direct replacement for Leandro Trossard. When analyzing professional records, there are quite a few similarities between the two players.
Like Trossard, Tzolis specializes in playing on the left wing but can also take on the number 10 role. Last summer, Crystal Palace considered recruiting him to replace Eberechi Eze before the English midfielder moved to Arsenal.
Hayk Milkon, former assistant coach of Club Brugge, assessed: "He can play many positions. Starting on the left wing is the best because there is space to tie into the center. But when playing near the goal, he is even more dangerous".
According to Milkon, Tzolis always knows how to appear at the right time in space and can make a difference whether playing on the flanks or in the center.
Another similarity between Tzolis and Trossard is physical fitness and the ability to maintain a competitive state.
During his time playing for Club Brugge, Tzolis's longest injury break only lasted 2 matches, even though he was always one of the most active players on the field.
If Trossard was once jokingly called "scolding person" by Arteta because he always complained on the training ground and to the referee, then Tzolis also possesses a similar personality.
Outside the pitch, Tzolis is open, sociable and very loved by his teammates. After the Belgian national championship last season, the entire Club Brugge team also danced with him the traditional Greek Sirtaki dance on the podium.
Talking numbers
Tzolis scored 22 goals and had 29 assists last season. That was not a temporarily explosive season, because he scored at least 20 goals in three consecutive seasons, including playing for Fortuna Dusseldorf and Club Brugge.
However, many opinions believe that statistics in the Belgian national championship need to be assessed cautiously when the quality of the league is lower than the Premier League. The lesson from Viktor Gyokeres is a typical example when scoring efficiency in Portugal is not fully reproduced in England.
However, data in the Champions League brings more positive signals for Arsenal. Last season, Tzolis was in the group of players who launched the most shots in the league per 90 minutes. He is also in the group of players with the most dribbling chances in the Champions League.
These statistics are even more noteworthy when Club Brugge only controlled the ball on average about 46%, belonging to the lowest group in the league.
Notably, Tzolis also appeared in many statistics tables with Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, the star that Arsenal once considered recruiting in the summer transfer window of 2025.
Tzolis may not be Arsenal's most sensational signing this summer. However, with his tactical adaptability and what he has shown at Club Brugge, the Greek winger is considered a reasonable addition to Arteta's squad.
