Arsenal complete £34m signing of Christos Tzolis as Leandro Trossard's successor

Arsenal have officially completed the signing of Greek international Christos Tzolis from Club Brugge in a deal worth £34 million, making it the biggest transfer fee ever received by a Belgian Pro League club.

The 24-year-old winger has signed a five-year contract at the Emirates Stadium and arrives as the direct replacement for Leandro Trossard, who recently joined Turkish side Besiktas for £17 million.

Arsenal secure one of Europe's most productive attackers

Tzolis enjoyed a sensational campaign in Belgium last season, registering 17 league goals and 23 assists in just 36 appearances for Club Brugge.

His outstanding performances attracted interest from several clubs across Europe, but Arsenal moved quickly to secure his signature after missing out on England international Morgan Rogers, who instead completed a British-record £117 million switch to Chelsea.

While Arsenal continue searching for another marquee attacking signing, with PSG winger Bradley Barcola among their targets, Tzolis becomes another key addition to Mikel Arteta's evolving squad.

"It's amazing to join the champions"

Speaking after completing the move, Tzolis described the transfer as one of the proudest moments of his career.

"It's absolutely amazing to sign for such a big club, the champions of England," he said.

"I'm very proud to be part of this team. When my agent first mentioned Arsenal, I was already excited. As the talks became more serious, I started believing it could really happen, and now I'm here."

The Greek international also outlined the qualities he hopes to bring to North London.

"I'm a direct player. I always look for goals or assists because that's my mentality as an attacker. I'm hungry to score, create chances and I also work hard defensively for the team."

A versatile forward built for Arteta's system

Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta believes Tzolis possesses exactly the qualities required to strengthen the club's attacking options.

"Christos is an extremely versatile attacking player who naturally operates on the left but is comfortable across the front line," Berta explained.

"He's an excellent finisher with both feet, thrives in tight spaces and has exceptional technical quality. His numbers over the last three seasons have been outstanding, and we're confident he'll make a significant contribution."

Tzolis will wear the No. 17 shirt at Arsenal.

Why Arsenal see him as the ideal Trossard replacement

Former Club Brugge assistant coach Hayk Milkon believes Tzolis is perfectly suited to replace Trossard thanks to his versatility and intelligent movement.

Although primarily deployed as a left winger, Tzolis is equally comfortable operating as a central attacking midfielder or drifting across the frontline.

"He is strongest when starting from the left before moving inside," Milkon explained. "The closer he gets to goal, the more dangerous he becomes. He can create space, attack defenders one-on-one and arrive in scoring positions."

Those tactical qualities mirror many of the attributes that made Trossard such an important player under Arteta.

Consistency and durability stand out

One of Tzolis' biggest strengths is his remarkable fitness record.

Like Trossard, he rarely misses matches through injury despite covering huge distances every game and maintaining an intense pressing style.

"He runs enormous distances at high speed," Milkon said. "The impressive part is that he kept producing those numbers every three or four days while playing Champions League football. His performance level barely dropped."

That reliability was another major factor behind Arsenal's decision to invest heavily in the Greek winger.

International experience despite his young age

Alongside his club success, Tzolis has become an established member of the Greece national team.

He has already earned 34 international caps, scoring nine goals, and arrives in North London entering what many believe will be the prime years of his career.

Having previously featured against Arsenal in the Champions League, he now has the opportunity to represent the club he once faced.

A new chapter begins

Arsenal's summer recruitment has focused on evolution rather than revolution, replacing outgoing players while gradually increasing the squad's technical quality.

Tzolis may not have been the club's first attacking target, but his impressive productivity, positional flexibility and relentless work ethic suggest he could become one of the Premier League's most intriguing new arrivals.

With Arsenal defending their league title and competing on multiple fronts next season, the Greek winger now has the perfect stage to prove that his record-breaking move was fully justified.