Lee Dixon believes Arsenal's summer signing Christos Tzolis can take the club to 'the next level' following his £34 million move from Club Brugge. The former Gunners defender has urged Mikel Arteta to give the 24-year-old Greek international a starting role for the opening games of the new season, highlighting his potential to surpass the departed Leandro Trossard.
Tzolis's impressive start at Arsenal
Arsenal completed the £34 million deal for Tzolis to fill the void left by Trossard's recent transfer to Besiktas. The winger arrived in north London with a stellar reputation from his two-year spell in Belgian football, where he recorded 21 goals and 28 assists in 45 appearances for Club Brugge. In pre-season, he has already made an immediate impact, registering three goal contributions in three starts for the Gunners.
Despite this, Arsenal remain keen to strengthen on the left wing, having made a bold approach to sign Vinicius Junior before the Brazilian opted to extend his contract at Real Madrid. However, Dixon, speaking to BestBettingSites, is impressed by what he has seen from Tzolis and believes he should be the main man in that position.
Dixon's verdict on Tzolis and Trossard
'I've always said we need to strengthen that left-wing position,' Dixon said. 'Even the season before they won the league, I said (and it might have been a bit harsh), I don't think you win the Premier League with Leandro Trossard as your starting left winger. Having said that, last season he played some really important games and scored some crucial goals. It has become much more of a squad game where he and Gabriel Martinelli have rotated and done really well together.'
Dixon added: 'But the player who stands out for me is Tzolis. I really like this kid. I think he's that next level up from Trossard. Martinelli is a bit off-the-cuff – you don't always know what you're going to get. So I think we should give Tzolis a bit of free rein and see how he goes in the first six or seven games.'
Arsenal's transfer plans and Barcola interest
Earlier in the transfer window, Arsenal had been credited with interest in Bradley Barcola as a potential upgrade in wide attacking areas. But Dixon is not sure the Gunners should pursue the Paris Saint-Germain winger given the French club's exorbitant asking price. 'I rate Barcola, but that's a serious transfer fee,' he said. 'Barcola is still only 23 or 24. There's room for development and raw naive talent there, yet he's played enough high-level matches at PSG to prove he possesses the physical durability for top-flight football. But when figures like £130m or £140m get thrown around, it's a massive outlay regardless of current market inflation.'
Speaking after Wednesday's pre-season draw with Como, Arteta said the club were still looking to make signings but admitted there are 'very few players' who can improve his squad. 'There is more that we want to do because every time we have an opportunity to improve the squad and bring more quality and depth to the squad, we need to do that,' Arteta said. 'But we are actively trying to do so. The thing in the market, it doesn't just depend on you, and we are very clear on that.'
Arteta continued: 'But the approach, the will and the desire of the club, that's unquestionable, and we want to try to do that. But we cannot promise that we're going to do it because, again, it doesn't only depend on us. For the margins to improve there are very few players in the market who are available to do that and bring that to the club. But again, we are actively looking to improve that and we are going to try.'
