Large-money goal now desires to signal for Arsenal

Talking forward of final season, pundit Jamie Carragher made the prediction that Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta would favour Kai Havertz over Viktor Gyokeres for the massive video games, regardless of the Swede having solely simply arrived on a bumper £63.5m deal.

Whereas Havertz subsequently spent a lot of 2025/26 on the sidelines, that prophecy considerably got here true ultimately, with the German finally getting the nod for final month’s Champions League ultimate.

Gyokeres might have ended his first season again in England because the Gunners’ prime scorer, each in all competitions and within the Premier League, but that omission in Budapest spoke to his at-times unconvincing performances in that quantity 9 berth.

It could be honest to say that he hasn’t been aided an excessive amount of by these round him, nonetheless, with this a striker who wants plentiful service. Might that each one change with a raft of signings this summer season?

Large-money Arsenal goal is now very eager to hitch this summer season

Gyokeres might have scored 14 league targets, however the lack of standard service was a transparent problem, with Martin Odegaard and Leandro Trossard main the best way within the squad for assists, regardless of truly solely chalking up six in that regard.

Solely Declan Rice (17) and Bukayo Saka (12), reached double figures for ‘massive possibilities’ created too, albeit with even that report considerably skewed by the pair’s set-piece prowess.

The ahead line, on the entire, merely did not hit the heights anticipated, with change prone to be within the offing amid reviews that Trossard is a goal for Besiktas.

A alternative in that left-wing berth shall be wanted, subsequently, with Arsenal sources reporting that the Gunners are in ‘direct contact’ concerning a deal for Membership Brugge starlet, Christos Tzolis.

As per the report, the Greek winger is ‘very eager’ to make the transfer to north London, with the backroom employees on the membership stated to have been impressed with him ‘for some time’.

A key issue is prone to be the value tag, albeit with The Athletic’s David Ornstein reporting that the 24-year-old may command a price of round £35m, guaranteeing any deal would not affect extra high-profile pursuits.

Why Tzolis signing could be good for Gyokeres

As famous above, there gave the impression to be an absence of cohesion between Gyokeres and the remainder of the ahead line, with the Swede truly solely registering 0.6 pictures heading in the right direction per sport.

The one-time Coventry Metropolis man has his faults, undoubtedly, but it surely’s honest to say he merely wasn’t discovered sufficient by these round him, unable to showcase the kind of type that noticed him hit 97 in 102 video games again at Sporting CP.

He may properly be licking his lips then on the prospect of linking up with Tzolis in north London, with the previous Norwich Metropolis man having chalked up a ridiculous haul of assists in 2025/26.

Working within the Belgian top-flight, outdoors of Europe’s prime 5 leagues, does present one thing of a caveat, but it surely’s arduous to not be excited by what he produced, with the £35m-rated man registering a staggering 23 assists within the Professional League.

In all, he created 25 ‘massive possibilities’ from his large function, whereas additionally averaging a stellar 3.8 key passes per sport, such a ridiculously constant artistic power.

For context, the person who led the best way within the Premier League final season for assists was Bruno Fernandes with 21, albeit with the Portuguese creating 33 ‘massive possibilities’ and averaging the same 3.9 key passes per sport.

For Tzolis to be in the same ballpark really is mouthwatering, suggesting that he will be the person to feed Gyokeres at each obtainable alternative.

Equally too, the Gunners goal may additionally assist to ease the goalscoring burden on Arsenal’s quantity 14, with Gyokeres the one participant to succeed in double figures for league targets in 2025/26.

Tzolis’ goalscoring report in Belgium actually has been terrific, notching 17 alongside his 23 assists final day out, after beforehand scoring 16 and registering 9 assists in 2024/25.

The 12 months previous to that, the fleet-footed expertise additionally hit 22 targets for Fortuna Düsseldorf in Germany’s second tier, having come alive that season out on mortgage from Norwich.

On the proof of the final two campaigns, specifically, Tzolis actually does appear like the whole bundle, somebody who can ease the stress on Gyokeres in entrance of purpose, but in addition provide the Scandinavian with a stream of high quality alternatives.

This might show one thing of a masterstroke for the Gunners and for Arteta.