Christos Tzolis was born in Thessaloniki in January 2002, and for the first part of his career he looked like a talent that might never settle. A record signing at Norwich who struggled with injuries, a loanee at two clubs, a striker who had to rebuild in Belgium. Now he is at the Premier League champions, and the question is whether the player who finally arrived is the one Arsenal paid £34m for.
Tzolis started at local side Doxa Pentalofou before joining PAOK’s academy in 2010, aged eight, according to PAOK’s own player profile. His path was not a straight line. According to Arsenal.com, his youth years also took in clubs in Germany, and he returned to PAOK in 2018. The goals followed quickly: 29 in 25 matches for the Under-17s, then 19 goals and eight assists in 26 appearances to top the Under-19 scoring in 2019/20, per PAOK.
He made his PAOK first-team debut against Olympiacos on 7 June 2020. He broke into the senior side in 2019/20 and made 42 league appearances for the club, and Arsenal.com credits him with the 2020/21 Greek Cup, where he was the top scorer, and with Player of the Season. He made his Greece senior debut in 2020 and became the seventh-youngest player in the national team’s history. Greece have since given him nine goals in 34 caps.
Norwich signed him in 2021 for £10m, a club record. On his debut he scored twice and added two assists in a 6-0 Carabao Cup win over Bournemouth, according to Arsenal.com. The Premier League was harder. Sky Sports says he made 30 appearances over two injury-hit years, and that his league debut came against Arsenal at the Emirates.
Twente (Eredivisie) came first on loan. Then, in 2023/24, he went on loan to Fortuna Düsseldorf in the 2. Bundesliga and scored 22 goals in 30 league matches, joint top scorer in the division. Club Brugge made the move permanent in 2024, and he scored 33 goals in 74 Belgian Pro League matches. He helped Brugge win the 2024/25 Belgian Cup and the 2025 Belgian Super Cup, and scored the Pro League Goal of the Year in 2025.
His best year was 2025/26. Arsenal.com says he scored 22 goals and gave 29 assists in all competitions, won Pro League Player of the Season and helped Brugge to the title. In the league he had 17 goals and 23 assists in 36 appearances, according to Sky Sports. Sky also notes he has scored at least 20 goals in each of his last three seasons, split between Brugge and Düsseldorf.
Arsenal announced the signing on 23 July 2026: £34m, a Belgian Pro League record, a five-year contract and the No 17 shirt. He replaces Trossard, who joined Besiktas in a £17m deal, and he was Arsenal’s first outfield signing since they became champions. Sporting director Andrea Berta said: “We’re confident Christos will make a significant contribution to our club.” Tzolis called the move “absolutely amazing” for a club he described as “the champions of England.”
Sky Sports describes him as predominantly a left winger who can also play as a No 10. Crystal Palace had considered him as a replacement for Eberechi Eze the summer before. Per Sky, he was among the most shot-friendly players in the Champions League last season and among Europe’s best at carrying the ball towards a shooting chance. His former Brugge assistant manager Hayk Milkon calls him “a guy that works a lot” with a “warrior mode” edge, and names “emotional stability” as the area to improve. Availability is a strength: his longest spell out at Brugge was two matches.
Sky Sports adds a caution. Brugge averaged around 46% possession in the Champions League, and the Belgian league is ranked eighth by Opta, one place below the EFL Championship, so his numbers should be scrutinised. On 7 November Sky reported he had not yet scored a competitive goal for Arsenal, and Tzolis said “the goals will come.”
