Arsenal's summer signing Christos Tzolis has made a stunning impression at the Emirates Stadium, with club officials lauding the £34m winger to Club Brugge president Bart Verhaeghe during the Champions League draw in Monaco. Verhaeghe revealed that Arsenal representatives approached him after the draw, expressing their admiration for the Greece international's performances in training.
Tzolis, 24, joined Arsenal in July on a long-term contract after the club agreed a £34m deal with Club Brugge. The winger was targeted by Mikel Arteta following the departure of Leandro Trossard, with Gabriel Martinelli also made available for transfer. Tzolis has helped the Premier League champions win their first four league games ahead of Wednesday's Champions League opener against Napoli.
Arsenal officials rave about Tzolis at Champions League draw
Speaking to Belgian outlet Het Belang van Limburg, Verhaeghe said: 'At the Champions League draw, I saw people from Arsenal and they showed a tremendous amount of respect. "What a player you've delivered", they told me. They said he has an excellent attitude, is the best in the physical tests and is a great guy, too.'
In a separate interview with Het Laatste Nieuws, Verhaeghe added: 'Arsenal said "what a player" when they approached me after the draw. Christos had come out on top in all the tests. That's what we do here: deliver a ready-made product. Because we know what those top teams are looking for. We prepare our players for that kind of football.'
Tzolis tops pre-season testing, says Ben White
Arsenal defender Ben White confirmed Tzolis's impressive form during pre-season, telling reporters: 'Christos has been amazing. He came in, did all the testing, and beat everyone. So he is fitting in really well and everyone is really happy for him to be here.'
Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta had earlier insisted that Tzolis would 'raise the technical level of our squad' and bring a 'strong mentality to our team' following his arrival from the Belgian club.
Ferdinand backs Tzolis for signing of the season
Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand has also tipped Tzolis to become the 'signing of the season' after his bright start for the Gunners. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ferdinand said: 'Who is the best signing of the transfer window? From what I've seen so far, I'm going to go for Tzolis. For the price you got him for, £35m, from what I've seen, jinky little winger, great vision, making good decisions in the final third. I think, great bit of business done by the recruitment team at Arsenal. I'm going to go early, I'm going to say he's going to be my signing of the season, as in terms of value, and in terms of what he does.'
Verhaeghe also highlighted Club Brugge's development approach, noting: 'Back then, people laughed at our holistic approach to nutrition, sleep, special glasses… Today, it's all standard practice. We were the innovators from day one, and we'll keep innovating. Today, we're selling players to Arsenal and Inter Milan, two teams that have reached the Champions League final in the last two years. And at the same time, we're recruiting directly from the Premier League, from a club like West Ham. 10 years ago, that was unthinkable.'
Tzolis's early performances have positioned him as a key figure in Arsenal's title defence, with the club's recruitment team earning praise for securing his signature at a reported £34m fee.
