Arsenal transfer target Christos Tzolis
Arsenal transfer target Christos Tzolis
Club Brugge star Christos Tzolis will soon join Arsenal, months after his failed move to Crystal Palace.
Last summer, Crystal Palace offered €32m to Club Brugge and were willing to increase his salary by 2.5 times. The winger was open to join the Eagles, but the Jupiler Pro League side rejected their bid.
In January, the Greek international said the Crystal Palace offer was tempting.
At the time, he said: “A little bit. (thinks) I like the way Crystal Palace plays football. I considered whether it might be a good opportunity or not, but I immediately told Dévy Rigaux and the staff that I wouldn’t push.”
Two days ago, Sport Witness covered claims from Belgium that he’s on his way to Arsenal. The parties are sorting out the last details, and he will undergo his Gunners medical on Sunday and Monday.
Arsenal on verge of completing signing
The Premier League winners are a few steps away from formalising the 24-year-old’s transfer.
Het Laatste Nieuws provides an insight on how the negotiations progressed with Arsenal and why he didn’t join Crystal Palace.
Club Brugge sporting director Dévy Rigaux was instrumental in Christos Tzolis not ending up at Crystal Palace.
The official played a key role in convincing him to continue with the Belgian club instead of joining the Eagles.
This paid off as he finished the season with 22 goals and 29 assists, and it has attracted interest from top European clubs.
Quick agreement with Arsenal
Club Brugge blocking his sale to Crystal Palace in 2025 now allows them to sell him to the Gunners for a record fee.
Last week, Arsenal sold Leandro Trossard to Beşiktaş and then quickly advances to sign Christos Tzolis. Club Brugge CEO Bob Madou and Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta were leading the negotiations.
Their recruitment director Guilian Preud’homme, chairman Bart Verhaeghe and his son Lucas, have assisted Madou in the negotiations.
These officials were able to secure a €40m agreement with the north London club, which in return makes Tzolis the new Jupiler Pro League record sale. The two teams have ironed out final details and now have a total agreement for his transfer.
The attacker should undergo Arsenal medical tests today and there’s confidence the move can be made official on Monday.
🇫🇷 William Saliba | Very pessimistic France reporting
🩺 Surgery believed to be most likely option
➡️ L’Equipe say Arsenal expecting 4-5 months out
📉 Has been playing via painkillers, and taking part in reduced training, for a whilehttps://t.co/LYImXfzMO6 #afc
— Sport Witness (@Sport_Witness) July 16, 2026