Arsenal are looking to bolster their squad with Christos Tzolis
12:20, 17 Jul 2026Updated 12:33, 17 Jul 2026
Christos Tzolis is an Arsenal transfer target.
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Christos Tzolis is an Arsenal transfer target.(Image: Photo by Gregory Van Gansen / Photonews via Getty Images)
Club Brugge have omitted Christos Tzolis from their pre-season friendly squad as Arsenal close in on a move. According to reports, the Greek star has been dropped from the Belgian's warm-up match against Herenveen in order to not risk a move to the Premier League champions.
Greek journalist Dimitris Manakos has tweeted that the 24-year-old has been left out of the clash against the Dutch side to limit jeopardising a move to the Gunners. He adds that it is unclear whether he will be in attendance for the pre-season fixture as he gears up for a move to North London.
The Premier League champions reached a £34million agreement with the Belgian giants for Tzolis as Arsenal look to strengthen their wide positions for the title defence. Mikel Arteta is looking to add reinforcements ahead of their bid to retain the top-flight crown and there is a further need for additions in forward areas with Leandro Trossard completing a move to Besiktas.
Brugge's pre-season preparations began at the start of July with a 4-2 win over Kortrijk which the 24-year-old missed. However, he was on the scoresheet in the 3-1 defeat at the hands of Feyenoord six days ago.
Tzolis, wearing the captain's armband, opened the scoring with a superb curling effort. The Greek showed what he is capable of as he cut inside from the left and sent a curling effort into the top corner.
Reports now suggest he will be left out for the visit of Herenveen in tonight's friendly (6pm kick-off). Manakos has claimed that he will undergo a medical on Sunday or Monday with the winger due to arrive in the capital this weekend.
football.london understands the Gunners wish to strengthen their forward line, with a specific focus on the left-hand side of the attack, and several targets under consideration.
Morgan Rogers, Julian Alvarez and Eli Junior-Kroupi mooted as options. Tzolis will be one of the latest names through the door this summer as he joins on the back of 22 goals and 29 assists in 52 Belgian top-flight appearances.
Piero Hincapie made his temporary move from Bayer Leverkusen permanent at the beginning of the summer, joining for £34.5m while Illan Meslier made the cross-Premier League switch from Leeds United to bolster the Gunners' goalkeeping ranks.
Arsenal aren't expected to stop there with Arteta keen on adding quality across the pitch. The Premier League champions ended their two-decade-long wait to return to the summit of English football but fell short in the Champions League, losing to Paris Saint-Germain on penalties in the European final.
It looks like another massive summer for Arsenal ahead of a gruelling campaign. Already, there have been some worryings signs with reports in France suggesting that William Saliba will need surgery on a back injury while the fitness of Arsenal's English stars Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka has come under question after their struggles with the Three Lions.
Arsenal kick off their pre-season schedule on August 1 when they take on Girona before facing another La Liga outfit in the form of Real Betis.
There will be two more run outs against Borussia Dortmund and Como before their season gets underway in the English curtain-raiser when they clash with Manchester City in the Community Shield on August 16.
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