How Arsenal may signal an enormous improve on Christos Tzolis this month

For Arsenal, their pre-season preparations has been lower than ultimate to date.

The Gunners have solely gained one in every of their three video games, struggling defeats by the hands of Actual Betis and Borussia Dortmund whereas they’ve additionally been with out their Spanish and English contingent till they returned to coaching on Monday this week.

Nonetheless, there was one huge optimistic, and that is the performances of recent signing Christos Tzolis.

How Tzolis has carried out in pre-season for Arsenal

When the information broke that Leandro Trossard could be heading for Besiktas, it saddened Arsenal supporters.

After his transfer to the Emirates Stadium, the Belgian was all the time extremely spectacular. He was so constant for the Gunners over on the left-hand facet.

But, on the age of 31, it was time for him to go away. It was time for Mikel Arteta and Co to welcome recent blood to north London.

They’ve performed so within the form of Tzolis. Within the phrases of Arteta, he is a participant minimize from an analogous material because the aforementioned Trossard. Talking final week, the Spaniard stated: “He is a participant who’s very direct. He is bought the objective between the eyes. I feel actually good at linking up. He has quite a lot of similarities with Leo [Trossard] in quite a lot of the issues that he can do and the areas he can occupy.”

Motion Pictures through Reuters/Matthew Childs

Nicely, since signing, he is definitely proven why Arsenal paid £34m to convey him again to English soccer after a failed spell with Norwich Metropolis.

Final time period, Tzolis scored 22 targets and assisted 29. He is an output machine and the Greek has confirmed that in pre-season. The summer season signing has performed in three video games and already has three objective contributions to his identify; two assists and one objective.

It began with a tidy strike towards Girona, slicing inside after which sliding the ball into the far nook. His help towards Betis got here from a nook, a lot to the delight of set-piece coach Nicolas Jover, after which his help for Ethan Nwaneri towards Dortmund was elegant.

In Trossard esque vogue, Tzolis shifted the ball onto his left foot after which equipped and inch-perfect cut-back into the field.

Regardless of his spectacular performances, there’s a sence that Arsenal want extra on the left-hand facet. However, how do they get it?

How Arsenal can improve on Tzolis this summer season

After profitable the Premier League, many anticipated this summer season to be simple for Andrea Berta and Arteta. It has been something however.

They did not signal their prime goal in Morgan Rogers. A £117m payment noticed him transfer to Chelsea. It was by no means a value the Gunners have been pleased to pay.

Likewise their efforts to signal the premier winger in European soccer, Vinicius Junior, proved to be fruitless. He ended up signing a brand new contract with Actual Madrid.

Reuters/Nathan Ray Seebeck

So, who’re the options? They’ve taken a take a look at Everton’s Iliman Ndiaye whereas Juventus ahead Kenan Yildiz can be again on the agenda. Reviews earlier this summer season revealed that Arsenal had established contact with the Italian facet, just for the winger to pen recent phrases in Turin.

Nicely, a number of months on, the Gunners are taking a look at a deal once more. Based on Tutto Juve, the north Londoners are making a recent push to signal him regardless of being advised in the beginning of the window that he was not on the market.

Valued at €100m (£85m), it is a cheaper deal than Rogers and Vini Junior so it’s definitely a transfer price exploring. Tzolis might have produced loads of targets and assists within the Belgian top-flight final season however he has not been performing on the highest stage fairly like Yildiz has.

The 21-year-old is likely one of the finest younger wingers within the sport proper now. He scored 11 and assisted ten final time period, maybe begging the query whether or not he could be a real improve on Gabriel Martinelli.

But, together with his spectacular skillset, he could be a mighty tremendous addition. Within the phrases of Italian soccer skilled Danny Corcoran, the Turkiye worldwide boasts a “[Kylian] Mbappe-like skill” to dart previous opponents and bamboozle them together with his trickery. In comparison with Tzolis too, the numbers bode properly.

On total output, Tzolis has Yildiz beat however in case you added the latter into the Belgian Professional League, it’s doubtless he would have registered comparable numbers almost about objective and assists.

In any case, if you examine different areas of the Turk’s sport to the brand new Arsenal signing, he stacks up impressively, finishing extra dribbles per 90 minutes and profitable extra duels. Everyone knows how a lot Arteta loves a duel winner.

In comparison with a few of the best in Europe, Yildiz additionally compares favourably. In comparison with all gamers in Europe’s prime 5 leagues in 2025/26, solely Bruno Fernandes (98) and Romano Schmid (77) created extra open-play probabilities than Yildiz (67). Moreover, solely Vinícius (43) recorded extra chance-creating carries than the 37 Yildiz managed.

Thus, after lacking out on that very Brazilian, the Juventus star may properly be the following smartest thing. On the age of 21, he’s prepared and ready to blow up. It would certainly not be too lengthy earlier than he’s recognised as one of many best abilities on the continent.