Christos Tzolis has reportedly been withdrawn from Club Brugge’s squad for their friendly against Heerenveen as the winger prepares to complete his move to Arsenal.
The 24-year-old will not feature in Friday night’s pre-season fixture, with both the player and his current club unwilling to take any unnecessary risks ahead of the proposed transfer.
Tzolis is expected to travel to London over the weekend before undergoing medical examinations, potentially across Sunday and Monday.
Arsenal have already reached an agreement with Club Brugge for the Greece international, with the deal understood to be worth around €40 million (£34m).
The transfer would represent a record sale for a Belgian Pro League club and move Arsenal closer to securing one of their priority attacking targets following Leandro Trossard’s departure.
Trossard completed his permanent move to Besiktas this week, leaving Mikel Arteta with a vacancy on the left side of his attack.
Tzolis has been identified as a player capable of filling that role after two highly productive seasons in Belgium.
The Greece international predominantly operates from the left but can play across the frontline, providing Arteta with another versatile option ahead of Arsenal’s Premier League title defence.
He enjoyed another excellent campaign for Club Brugge last season, scoring 19 goals across all competitions after registering 21 during his first year at the club.
Tzolis also arrives with previous experience of English football after joining Norwich City from PAOK in 2021.
His first spell in the Premier League did not produce the breakthrough expected of him, but subsequent spells with Twente and Fortuna Dusseldorf helped revive his career before his move to Belgium.
Arsenal’s interest accelerated following Trossard’s move to Turkey, although the club had been monitoring potential attacking reinforcements before the Belgian’s departure.
The Gunners are expected to continue exploring opportunities to strengthen Arteta’s forward line even if the Tzolis deal is completed.
For now, attention will turn towards completing the formalities surrounding the Greek winger’s arrival.
His omission from Club Brugge’s latest friendly represents another significant indication that the transfer is approaching its conclusion.
Provided there are no complications during his medical, Tzolis is expected to complete his move to north London and become Arsenal’s latest addition of the summer.
The Gunners will then hope the winger can reproduce the goalscoring form that has transformed his career in Belgium as he prepares for a second opportunity to establish himself in the Premier League.