Arsenal transfer news: Christos Tzolis signs in £34m deal from Club Brugge as replacement for Leandro Trossard
Arsenal have completed the signing of Christos Tzolis from Club Brugge; the Greek winger joins for a £34m fee, which is a Belgian Pro League record; Tzolis has been signed as a replacement for Leandro Trossard, who departed for Besiktas in a £17m deal
Thursday 23 July 2026 16:55, UK
Arsenal have announced the signing of winger Christos Tzolis from Club Brugge on a five-year deal.
The fee is understood to be £34m, which is a record for the Belgian Pro League.
The 24-year-old, formerly of Norwich City, scored 17 goals and provided 23 assists in 36 league appearances last season.
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Sky Sports News understands that Morgan Rogers was identified as the club's top attacking target, but the England international instead completed a British-record £117m move to Chelsea.
Tzolis has been signed as a replacement for Leandro Trossard, who departed for Besiktas in a £17m deal, although the club are continuing their efforts to sign a marquee forward, with Bradley Barcola among their targets having missed out on Rogers.
"It's absolutely amazing to sign for such a big club, the champions of England," Tzolis told the club's official website.
"I'm very proud to be part of this team for the next season. When my agent was saying maybe it was a possibility, I was already excited. Afterwards it was getting more serious and now I'm here.
"I'm a direct player, I go for goals or assists. That's my point of view as an attacker, as a winger. I'm always hungry to score or to give the final pass to my team-mates. And I can say I work hard for the team, also in the defensive part."
Arsenal's sporting director Andrea Berta added: "Christos is an extremely versatile attacking player who naturally operates on the left but is comfortable across the front line.
"He's an excellent finisher with both feet, thrives in tight spaces, and possesses incredible technical ability.
"Christos has produced outstanding numbers in terms of goals and assists over the last three seasons, and he's a player who will raise the technical level of our squad, while bringing positive energy, enthusiasm, and a strong mentality to our team.
"We're confident Christos will make a significant contribution to our club, and we hope our supporters will enjoy watching him play in an Arsenal shirt."
Tzolis, who is also a senior Greece international with nine goals in 34 games for the national side, will wear the No 17 shirt for Arsenal.
Analysis: Why Tzolis is the perfect Trossard replacement
Sky Sports' Sam Blitz:
Tzolis arrives as Trossard's direct replacement. And a closer look at Tzolis' profile shows a lot of similarities between the two players.
The first is the profile. Through those who know him, the Greek forward is a winger but like Trossard, he is also a No 10. Last summer, Crystal Palace strongly considered Tzolis as a replacement for now-Arsenal star Eberechi Eze.
"He's able to fulfil different roles," Hayk Milkon tells Sky Sports, who was Club Brugge's assistant manager for Tzolis' time in Belgium up until February of this year.
"Coming from the left side - giving him this space to start wide and then find the moments to get more inside - that's where he's at his strongest.
"If he's assigned to play really wide to get these one on ones, he's able to do it. But he's always strongest the closer he is to the goal. Whenever he's more central, you can expect him at any moment to attack the space."
Another similarity between Tzolis and Trossard is their availability. Trossard had an exemplary injury record at Arsenal and was only injured for four matches in three-and-a-half years. All of those four games came in his final season in north London.
Tzolis, meanwhile, had a similar record at Club Brugge. The longest he ever spent on the sidelines at the Belgian club was two matches - despite being one of the most energetic and intense players on the team.
"He's a guy that works a lot," adds Milkon. "He runs a lot of kilometres in the game, but also at high speeds and his sprint distance.
"Anyone can do that once in a week. He was doing it every three or four days with the Champions League. And his performances stayed stable."
A final comparison between Trossard and Tzolis is a slight temperament - bred from a desire to win. Arteta once affectionately called Trossard "a bit of a moaner" at Arsenal through his constant complaining in training and to referees.
And one of Tzolis' big areas of improvement, according to his former coach? "Emotional stability," says Milkon.
Read Sky Sports' Sam Blitz's full feature on Christos Tzolis here...
Arsenal's first five matches of the Premier League season
August 21: Coventry (H), live on Sky Sports, kick-off 8pm
August 31: Aston Villa (A), live on Sky Sports, kick-off 8pm
September 6: Chelsea (H), live on Sky Sports, kick-off 4.30pm
September 12: Sunderland (A), kick-off 8pm
September 19: Brighton (A), kick-off 3pm
