Following the departure of Leandro Trossard, Arsenal FC has signed Christos Tzolis. The Gunners are paying approximately 40 million euros to Belgian champions Club Brugge for the former second-division top scorer.
Two years ago, he nearly led Fortuna Düsseldorf to promotion to the Bundesliga; going forward, Christos Tzolis will be hunting for goals for Arsenal FC. The English champions have found a replacement for Leandro Trossard—who recently transferred to Beşiktaş Istanbul—in the Greek player.
The winger has signed a long-term contract with the Gunners, as the London club announced. According to consistent media reports, Arsenal is paying Club Brugge approximately 40 million euros. With this transfer, the Greek player surpasses the previous record transfer, Charles De Ketelaere—who moved to AC Milan in 2022 for 37.5 million euros—as the most expensive sale in Club Brugge’s history.
“Christos is an extremely versatile attacking player who naturally plays on the left wing but is comfortable anywhere in the attacking line. He’s an outstanding finisher with both feet, thrives in tight spaces, and possesses incredible technical skills,” explains sporting director Andrea Berta.
Tzolis played in Germany’s youth leagues, including for SG Rosenhöhe near Offenbach, before joining PAOK Thessaloniki’s U-17 team in 2019. Later, Norwich City took notice of the now 24-year-old—in 2021, the Canaries signed the dribbling-proficient winger on a permanent basis for 11 million euros. After an unsuccessful year on loan at Twente Enschede, Tzolis made a fresh start in the 2. Bundesliga with Fortuna Düsseldorf. Fortuna also secured an option to buy following the one-year loan.
Tzolis made a huge impact at Fortuna and in Bruges
In Düsseldorf, Tzolis made a huge impact, scoring 24 goals and assisting on ten more in 37 competitive matches for the Rhinelanders during the 2023–24 season. With 22 goals, he tied for the Bundesliga lead alongside Haris Tabakovic and Robert Glatzel. In the relegation final, the Greek player and Düsseldorf suffered a dramatic defeat to VfL Bochum in a penalty shootout (5–6 on penalties), after having won the first leg 3–0 at Castroper Straße.
Fortuna subsequently exercised its purchase option of 3.5 million euros, only to sell Tzolis to Bruges for 6.5 million euros. During his two years at the top Belgian club—which had already clinched its 20th league title that summer—the left winger scored 43 goals and recorded 45 assists in 108 competitive matches. Tzolis scored twice in the most recent Champions League season.
The 24-year-old could have made the move to the Premier League as early as the summer of 2025—Everton FC is said to have shown interest. The fact that Arsenal has now secured the services of the 34-time Greek international is linked to Trossard’s departure—but also to Tzolis’s impressive goal-scoring rate over the past three years. At the English champions, the former Düsseldorf player will then have to compete with players such as Gabriel Martinelli, Eberechi Eze, and Bukayo Saka.
