Arsenal's New Winger Christos Tzolis Shines Ahead of Champions League Debut
Arsenal’s new winger Christos Tzolis is yet to kick a ball in the Champions League for his club, but he’s already the talk of Europe’s elite corridors.
The £34m summer signing from Club Brugge has made a flying start in north London, forcing his way into the Premier League champions’ plans and lighting up training sessions to such an extent that Arsenal executives couldn’t resist bragging about him at the Champions League draw in Monaco.
“What a player you’ve delivered”
Tzolis, 24, arrived at the Emirates in July on a long-term deal after Mikel Arteta pushed through a move that saw Leandro Trossard depart and Gabriel Martinelli placed on the market. It was a bold reshaping of Arsenal’s wide options. Early evidence suggests Arteta knew exactly what he was doing.
The Greece international has helped Arsenal win their first four league games of the season heading into Wednesday’s Champions League opener against Napoli. Inside the club, the excitement is real.
Sporting director Andrea Berta set the tone when the deal was confirmed, backing the winger to “raise the technical level of our squad” and bring a “strong mentality to our team”. Those inside Arsenal’s hierarchy have gone even further in private.
At the draw in Monaco, Club Brugge president Bart Verhaeghe bumped into Arsenal officials and quickly realised just how much of an impression Tzolis had made.
“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.”
The message was the same when Verhaeghe spoke to Het Laatste Nieuws.
“Arsenal said ‘what a player’ when they approached me after the draw,” he explained. “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.”
Brugge’s “holistic” gamble pays off
Verhaeghe used Tzolis as a showcase for Club Brugge’s much-discussed methods.
“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.
“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.”
For Brugge, Tzolis is proof of concept. For Arsenal, he looks like a weapon.
“He beat everyone”
Inside the Arsenal dressing room, the numbers from pre-season testing did the talking before the football did.
Defender Ben White lifted the lid on just how impressive Tzolis has been behind the scenes.
“Christos has been amazing,” the England international said. “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.”
Best in the physical tests, top in internal metrics, and already trusted in a title-defending side. It’s a powerful combination.
Rio Ferdinand’s bold call
The performances haven’t gone unnoticed outside the club either. Rio Ferdinand has already nailed his colours to the mast and picked Tzolis as his early standout signing of the window.
“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.”
Arsenal wanted a wide player who could change the rhythm of games, stretch defences and still make smart choices in the final third. Early on, Tzolis is ticking every box.
The next stage is clear. The Champions League anthem will ring out, Napoli will arrive, and the tests will no longer be confined to the training ground. If Tzolis carries this form onto that stage, Arsenal’s quiet boasting in Monaco might soon sound like understatement.
