Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta
Andrea Berta oversaw the summer recruitment at Arsenal.
Arsenal chiefs were waxing lyrical about new signing Christos Tzolis to Club Brugge representatives at the Champions League draw.
The Gunners signed the Greece international from Club Brugge in the summer transfer window in a deal worth around £34m.
Tzolis was brought in to replace Arsenal fan favourite Leandro Trossard with the Belgium winger joining Turkish side Besiktas around the same time.
Gabriel Martinelli eventually also left Arsenal for Al-Hilal, making the signing of Tzolis even more crucial to helping Arsenal become successful in all competitions this season.
Defending champions Arsenal have won all three of their first three Premier League matches with Tzolis in the starting XI and the Gunners are very happy with the Greek’s contribution.
Club Brugge president Bart Verhaeghe has revealed that Arsenal chiefs were full of praise for the Belgian club for developing such a bright talent in Tzolis, when they bumped into each other at the Champions League draw last month.
READ: Two reasons Arsenal star Lewis-Skelly decided to reject Man Utd revealed after Arteta intervention
Verhaeghe told Het Belang van Limburg: “At the Champions League draw, I saw people from Arsenal and they showed a tremendous amount of respect.
“‘What a player you’ve delivered’, they told me. They said he has an excellent attitude, is the best in the physical tests and is a great guy, too.”
In another interview, this time with Het Laatste Nieuws, Verhaeghe added: “Arsenal said ‘what a player’ when they approached me after the draw.
“Christos had come out on top in all the tests. That’s what we do here: deliver a ready-made product. Because we know what those top teams are looking for. We prepare our players for that kind of football.
“Back then, people laughed at our holistic approach to nutrition, sleep, special glasses… Today, it’s all standard practice. We were the innovators from day one, and we’ll keep innovating.
“Today, we’re selling players to Arsenal and Inter Milan, two teams that have reached the Champions League final in the last two years.
READ: Arsenal chances of signing Kroupi in January revealed as Gunners to sell Gyokeres on one condition
“And at the same time, we’re recruiting directly from the Premier League, from a club like West Ham. 10 years ago, that was unthinkable.”
Could Tzolis be the signing of the season in the Premier League?
Arsenal defender Ben White was also full of praise for Tzolis in August with the England international claiming the 24-year-old was beating everyone in training.
White said: “Christos has been amazing. He came in, did all the testing, and beat everyone.
“So he is fitting in really well and everyone is really happy for him to be here.”
Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand thinks the signing of Tzolis from Club Brugge could turn out to be one of the signings of the season in the Premier League.
Ferdinand said on his YouTube channel: “Who is the best signing of the transfer window? From what I’ve seen so far, I’m going to go for Tzolis.
“For the price you got him for, £35m, from what I’ve seen, jinky little winger, great vision, making good decisions in the final third.
“I think, great bit of business done by the recruitment team at Arsenal. I’m going to go early, I’m going to say he’s going to be my signing of the season, as in terms of value, and in terms of what he does.”