Christos Tzolis in Arsenal's 2026-27 home kit, surrounded by fireworks / Viktor Gyokeres of Arsenal during the AFC Bournemouth vs Arsenal Premier League match at the Vitality Stadium, Bournemouth

Christos Tzolis is the latest addition to Arsenal's front line.Manh Tung - Breaking Media / Imago

Why Christos Tzolis can finally unlock Viktor Gyokeres' true potential at Arsenal

Senior Correspondent AUTHORITY Senior football journalist specialising in refereeing and officiating; former contributor to The Football League Paper, Late Tackle, and the Premier League; University of Derby graduate. FOCUS Refereeing controversies, football finance and governance, PGMOL decisions, and officiating analysis across the Premier League, EFL, and SPFL. THE INSIGHT Harri utilises a network of officiating and industry contacts to deliver verified, expert analysis of refereeing decisions and PGMOL policy. He provides the regulatory clarity behind the controversy to ensure fans get the full picture.

Published on:

23 Jul 2026, 8:15 pm

Arsenal and Mikel Arteta clearly mean serious business this summer despite already lifting the Premier League trophy last term.

Despite missing out on Morgan Rogers to Chelsea, there is unlikely to be a shortage of transfer action at the Emirates Stadium ahead of next season.

Bidding farewell to Leandro Trossard was extremely difficult for the supporters, but it would appear that the Gunners have already found his direct replacement.

In a £34million deal, the North London outfit have signed Christos Tzolis from Club Brugge, where he has shone over the last two seasons.

The winger's time at Norwich City awful. So awful, in fact, that Daniel Farke nearly derailed his career. But now look at him.

With 43 goals and 43 assists in 108 games, Tzolis has become one of the most dangerous forwards in Europe, and now he's at Arteta's disposal.

Viktor Gyokeres struggled despite 21-goal season

He is exactly the kind of figure that the Gunners need to take the squad to the next level, evident from his sublime stats during the 2025-26 season.

Viktor Gyokeres, however, found things very difficult at times, with some fans wondering why the club had splashed the best part of £60m on him.

While he ended the campaign on 21 goals across all competitions, it always felt like he was missing a key link-up in the final third, but Arteta may have just completed the puzzle.

He had one of the better conversion rates amongst strikers in the Premier League last season, which would suggest that service was his biggest problem.

Now, with Tzolis on the left flank, that should no longer be an issue for the Sweden international.

How Christos Tzolis can instantly create history as Arsenal 'complete' deal

Daniel Farke once publicly hammered Christos Tzolis, now he's set to join Arsenal for '£35m'

Christos Tzolis' mesmerising stats at Club Brugge

During the 2025-26 campaign, across the top 10 leagues in Europe, Tzolis recorded the most assists of any player, 23, while creating 135 chances [Opta].

That was just in the Belgian Pro League, with another 13 chances being created in the Champions League, and grabbing another assist against Barcelona.

He also ranked top in the Belgian first division for successful crosses, a total of 97, helping Club Brugge to their 20th league title.

To put his creativity into context, his 25 big chances created can only be bettered by one player in the Premier League - Bruno Fernandes.

Arsenal Football Club