When Arsenal missed out on a marquee move for Vinicius Junior earlier this summer, doubts naturally lingered over how Mikel Arteta would rebuild his frontline on the left flank.
But following Leandro Trossard’s £18 million departure to Besiktas, the Gunners moved with quiet efficiency, securing 24-year-old Greek international Christos Tzolis from Club Brugge in a Belgian Pro League record £34 million deal.
In pre-season matches alongside 16-year-old Max Dowman, including a sharp display against Borussia Dortmund where he created Ethan Nwaneri's goal and won a penalty, Tzolis demonstrated why he might be precisely what Arsenal need.
Rather than a luxury name, the former Club Brugge "output machine" gives Mikel Arteta a direct, dynamic threat on the flank ahead of Sunday's Community Shield clash against Manchester City.
Striver.Football shows why the Greek winger could solve Arsenal's left-side puzzle from day one.
Read More: 5 Reasons Why Vinicius Jr to Arsenal Was Never Realistic After Real Madrid Renewal
Why Tzolis Could Transform Arsenal's Left Wing
Unlike Trossard, who often preferred to slow the game down to pick passes, Tzolis is an aggressive, high-volume dribbler who constantly tests his full-back.
In pre-season, his primary drive to either take on his man or immediately look to shoot or cross stood out. Against Dortmund, it was his low left-footed cross after driving into the box that set up Nwaneri to halve the deficit before he drew the penalty for Viktor Gyokeres.
Data from Opta shows that in the 2025-26 domestic season, Tzolis registered a staggering 40 goal contributions (17 goals, 23 assists in 36 games), 16 more than any other player in Belgium.
Among players with 10+ goals in the Belgian top flight, Tzolis comfortably led the league for progressive carries (359, compared to Thorgan Hazard's 215) and completed dribbles (40).
Tzolis' Inside-Forward Profile Makes Him Different
Although he operates on the left wing, Tzolis is right-footed and naturally functions as a modern inside forward who drifts into dangerous half-space pockets.
"David Villa was not a ‘striker’ striker. He was an inside forward. A left pocket player who always went for goals,” Tzolis told The Athletic.
“I see myself like this because I’m not always a typical wide winger. I go inside a lot, and [David] Villa as a winger/inside forward was top level.
“His body style is similar to mine too. We are not the tallest as strikers, but in finishing terms, he was top level. I’m not saying I’m the level of David Villa, but we have some similarities."
In selecting his shirt number, Tzolis reflected on the comparison to another former Barcelona and Arsenal hero Alexis Sanchez.
"I see some similarities, but it’s not the reason I took the No 17. It was more that there were not so many options. I had 18 and 19 in the past, so I didn’t want to use them again. It’s nice that Alexis Sanchez also had No. 17, so I hope I will have the same success."
How Tzolis Adds Another Set-Piece Threat
Arsenal’s set-piece prowess produced a Premier League record 19 goals from corners in 2025-26. Tzolis seamlessly fits into Nicolas Jover's dead-ball system.
More data by Opta shows that out of his 135 total chances created for Club Brugge last season, 52 were from set pieces (38.5%).
With Declan Rice (42.9% set-piece chance creation) and Bukayo Saka (19.7%) carrying minor fitness concerns following reduced pre-season schedules, Tzolis offers Arteta a ready-made set-piece specialist to deliver in-swinging deliveries from the left.
Why Tzolis Fits Arteta's Defensive Demands
Beyond his attacking metrics, Tzolis has explicitly highlighted work rate as a core part of his game alongside directness and creativity—a non-negotiable trait for any wide player in Arteta's pressing system.
During Arsenal's pre-season match away in Girona, Tzolis instinctively dropped deep into the backline to preserve a back four whenever Ben White pushed high from right-back, alongside tracking back to make tackles and defensive headers himself.
His ability to track opposition wingers, make defensive tackles, and turn over possession high up the pitch directly led to transition moments against Dortmund, lifting the team's tempo when the game lagged.
While adjusting from the Belgian Pro League to the Premier League requires an adaptation period, Tzolis' underlying metrics in the UEFA Champions League prove his profile scales up against elite opposition.
In terms of output, Trossard recorded five goal involvements (1G 4A) to Tzolis’ three (2G 1A), but Tzolis more than held his own in various underlying metrics.
The Greek forward (59) completed 15 more attacking carries than Trossard (44), and completed more passes into the final third (26 vs 16). Furthermore, while he only recorded one assist to Trossard’s four, Tzolis (13) actually created almost double the chances compared to Trossard (7).
You could also argue that had he been playing for a stronger team such as Arsenal, Tzolis’ output would likely have been even greater.
Could Tzolis Start Arsenal's Season as a First Choice?
With England internationals Bukayo Saka, Noni Madueke and Eberechi Eze returning to full training in the coming days, their truncated pre-seasons mean Tzolis could start on the left in the Community Shield against Manchester City and the opening weeks of the Premier League title defense.
He may not carry the star-studded profile of Vinicius Jr, but Christos Tzolis brings a blend of direct carrying, tactical intelligence, dead-ball precision, and defensive work rate that makes him a tailor-made solution for Arteta's system.
