Al-Sadd manager Razvan Lucescu has congratulated Club Brugge winger Christos Tzolis ahead of his high-profile move to Arsenal this summer.
The Greek forward had a wonderful 2025/26 season with Brugge, registering 22 goals and 29 assists from 51 appearances across all competitions.
He has since been tipped for a big-money move, and it is Arsenal who have won the race to land his signature in a deal worth £34 million.
Tzolis is already on his way to north London to finalise his transfer. Lucescu has now congratulated him, having seen his initial progress at PAOK.
He said: “Hi, Christos. Congratulations on everything you have achieved so far. I know very well that it was not easy for you. It took a lot of hard work, and it required many sacrifices on your part, first and foremost.
“You are in a position that can bring you greater satisfaction, greater excitement, and an even more wonderful story. For that reason, I hope you stay strong, even stronger if you can, and keep fighting; make that your guiding principle throughout your entire professional life.
“Fight against yourself, fight against your opponents, and have many successes in this new experience. I wish you all the best, and I will be so happy for you. May you be the happiest player at Arsenal.”
Tzolis never played competitively under Lucescu at PAOK. He was graduating through their academy during the 57-year-old’s first stint (2017-2019) as the club’s head coach.
On his return in 2021, Lucescu managed the Greek in a few pre-season friendlies before his Premier League move to Norwich City. Tzolis has since improved leaps and bounds.
The 24-year-old has yet to prove his credentials in one of Europe’s top-five leagues, but he did make goal contributions against Atletico, Atalanta and Barcelona in the Champions League last term.
With much of the focus on Arsenal’s pursuit of a marquee left winger, the pressure should be less on Tzolis, who is viewed as a replacement for the recently departed Leandro Trossard.
The Greek has dazzled with his dribbling, chance creation and ability to score from tight spaces. He looks like a junior version of Trossard but with extra pace to burn on the counter-attack.
Arsenal have decided to take a risk with the former Norwich ace, and only time will tell whether they made the right choice. Once his transfer is formalised, Tzolis could start playing right away, given he has already featured in pre-season friendlies for the Belgian champions.
Stats from Transfermarkt