Are Arsenal underprepared for the new sseason?
Well, their 3-0 win over Manchester City last Sunday suggested not. Yet, their business in the transfer market would suggest they are.
Indeed, with just under two weeks to go before the window slams shut, the Gunners arguably still need two or three new players.
In defence, they are searching for cover for the injury-stricken William Saliba while up top, a move for a centre-forward and a new winger has been explored.
Vinicius Junior and Morgan Rogers have come and gone but Christos Tzolis has arrived and he looks a mighty fine acquisition.
Arsenal supporters wanted a marquee attacking signing this summer. They may still get one.
Vinicius Junior will not join but for a good week or so, it looked as though the Gunners had a genuine shot at signing one of the game’s biggest stars. Anyone they sign now will feel inconsequential in comparison.
Yet, Tzolis is proving his doubters wrong and is emerging as one of Mikel Arteta’s most imporrtant players already.
He may not be Vini Jr, he may not be Rogers either, but he has been electric in pre-season and his performance against City on Sunday, in particular, was a huge statement. Perhaps Arsenal don’t need another left winger after all?
His performances in pre-season, scoring and assisting twice, were impressive but they were not against Premier League opposition. The jury was still out.
Well, against one of the best teams in England he ran City ragged at the weekend and looked every bit an elite winger.
|
Tzolis vs Man City |
|
|---|---|
|
Minutes played |
90 |
|
Accurate passes |
19/26 (73%) |
|
Key passes |
3 |
|
Assists |
2 |
|
Shots |
0 |
|
Touches |
42 |
|
Fouled |
Twice |
|
Carries |
12 |
|
Progressive carries |
3 |
|
Ball recoveries |
4 |
|
Duels won |
5/14 |
He may not replicate his ridiculous 22-goal and 29-assist campaign that he posted for Club Brugge before making the move to London but the Greek has more than made his impact early on.
Tzolis is an assist machine and he popped up with two more against Enzo Maresca’s side. Both were very different too. The first was a lovely cushioned header into the path of Kai Havertz. The second was simply but oh so effective.
How many times have we seen Gabriel Martinelli and Noni Madueke run down a blind alley? The quickness of Tzolis’ decision making here was second to none. He didn’t get at the defender but instead ran towards the box and then found Martin Odegaard with ultimate precision.
He has already struck up a tidy relationship with both the skipper and Havertz, but just imagine if Arteta gave the summer arrival an elite centre-forward to aim for.
£130m Arsenal target would be perfect for Tzolis
Will Arsenal get their marquee attacker this summer? You cannot say they haven’t tried.
As well as looking at Vini and Rogers, they have explored a move for PSG’s Bradley Barcola while Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen has also appeared on their radar in recent weeks.
The dream target for much of the window, however, has been 2022 World Cup winner Julian Alvarez. His saga has been a whirlwind in recent months. Real Madrid lodged a £130m bid that was rejected by Atletico Madrid with it unlikely that they will sell him to another Spanish side. That is gut-wrenching for Alvarez who wants to move to Barcelona.
That desire has been reiterated again this week. According to reports in Spain, Arteta has directly called Alvarez ‘in recent days’ in one last push to sign the Argentine this summer.
However, the Arsenal boss has been told by the player that his first priority is to seal a move to the Camp Nou.
If that switch does not materialise, it may well put the Gunners in pole position to sign him. What a signing this would be too, particularly for the likes of Tzolis and Bukayo Saka, Arsenal’s leading wingers.
For so long now, Arteta’s side have craved an elite centre-forward. They thought they had one in Viktor Gyokeres but even after a 21-goal campaign, questions have been raised of his tactical and stylistic fit at the Emirates Stadium.
Alvarez, however, would be perfect. He’s the ideal blend of what Arsenal need. Like Havertz, he can drop deep and link the play but like Gyokeres, he’s a ruthless goalscorer.
During his debut campaign at Atleti, the former Manchester City man scored 29 times. 2025/26 was not quite as profitable for the Argentina international but he still popped up with 20 goals in all competitions.
Together with Tzolis, Arsenal could have two of the most efficient forwards in Europe working in tandem. Last season, the former Brugge star created 3.96 chances per 90 minutes, the most of any player in the Belgium Pro League.
He also created 0.73 big chances and delivered 2.81 crosses per 90, statistics that ranked him among the best 4% of wingers in the division.
For a player like Alvarez who thrives in transition and in the build-up, that would be music to his ears. To back up that point, the 26-year-old sat among the best 9% of strikers in Europe’s top five leagues last term for expected threat in the build-up phases of play.
Expected Threat (xT) is a metric that quantifies how much a player’s actions (like a pass or carry) increase their team’s probability of scoring.
To put it simply, Tzolis and Alvarez are menaces in the final third. Combine them and Arsenal’s attack and indeed their team, will surely finally be complete.
