Arsenal have made Christos Tzolis their third signing since winning the Premier League last season, bringing in the Greek winger from Club Brugge for a reported £34 million ($45.4 million) fee.
Tzolis follows Piero Hincapié and Illan Meslier through the door, but is the first transfer activity that fans might feel genuine excitement for, given that Hincapié was already an Arsenal player on loan last season and Meslier is a backup goalkeeper signed as a free agent.
The length of his “long-term contract” with the Gunners is not officially disclosed. He is effectively a straight replacement for Leandro Trossard on the left wing, after the aging Belgian was sold to Beşiktaş earlier this month. This is Arsenal striking while the iron is hot and seeking to carefully upgrade a squad that can already call itself reigning Premier League champions.
He will wear Arsenal’s No. 17 shirt last worn by Oleksandr Zinchenko and mostly successfully occupied in a Gunners context by Alexis Sánchez and Emmanuel Petit.
Tzolis put up big numbers for Club Brugge last season, registering 51 goals and assists in 52 appearances across all competitions. Rumor also has it he impressed Arsenal’s assistant sporting director, Maurizio Micheli, during a match for Greece against Sweden last month.
Tzolis an ‘Excellent Finisher’
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