When Christos Tzolis signed for Arsenal to the tune of £34m, he did so without much fanfare.
Sure, the Gunners needed a replacement for the departing Leandro Trossard but after winning the Premier League, supporters assumed they would bring in an world-class wide player instead.
The likes of Vinicius Junior, Kenan Yildiz, Morgan Rogers and Bradley Barcola have all been targeted but to date, Tzolis remains the sole addition to the forward line.
While fans were initially disappointed with that fact heading into the start of the season, their new Greek sensation has been a revelation. Perhaps he is the elite winger they were craving after all.
How Christos Tzolis tore Coventry to shreds
What a rip-roaring start Tzolis has made to life at the Emirates.
In three of his four pre-season appearances, the former Club Brugge man registered a goal involvement, first scoring on debut against Girona in a 4-1 victory before assisting goals in the defeats to Real Betis and Borussia Dortmund.
Those results have mattered not for the Arsenal. In competitive action, the Gunners and indeed Tzolis have been electric.
The 24-year-old provided two assists against Manchester City in the Community Shield and then registered an unofficial one against Coventry last Friday night.
One of his key actions in the game was to supply Bukayo Saka’s goal. Tzolis, as he did all night, got down the left and then fired in a low cross that Carl Rushworth could only parry straight into the path of Saka.
It was such an impressive performance from the summer arrival who was a constant nuisance for the Coventry backline. The Greece international had the most touches of any player in the opposition box (8) and had the most shots in the game (4). Further creating three chances, it was remarkable he did not come away with something else from the match.
Those who have been watching the wide man for a few years now are unlikely to be surprised by his performance levels. Last term, he registered 22 goals and 29 assists in all competitions.
|
Tzolis vs Coventry City |
|
|---|---|
|
Minutes played |
76 |
|
Touches |
51 |
|
Shots |
4 |
|
Shots on target |
2 |
|
Fouled |
2x |
|
Accurate passes |
30/37 (81%) |
|
Key passes |
3 |
|
Crosses |
3 |
|
Duels won |
4/6 |
He has immediately taken over the mantle as Arsenal’s leading left winger, with Gabriel Martinelli now set to follow Trossard out of the exit door. How could they replace him? Well, they could repeat their Tzolis masterclass.
Tzolis repeat could be on the cards for Arsenal
Mikel Arteta and Andrea Berta have spent the summer courting a whole host of elite wingers without much success.
Vini Jr and Rogers were ultimately out of reach while PSG’s Barcola also looks unattainable with a £130m-£140m price tag mooted.
It explains why Arsenal have sought value in the market. At £34m, Tzolis was exceptional value. So, how could they repeat that?
Well, with transfer fees soaring to new heights this summer, perhaps the £60m-rated Matias Fernandez-Pardo of Lille could be the man for the Gunners?
According to reports in France, Arsenal have added the 21-year-old to their shortlist and are monitoring his situation with Les Dogues in the remaining days of the window. That said, amid interest from RB Leipzig, they are allegedly unwilling to sell below the aforementioned value.
Fernandez-Pardo, much like Tzolis, is far from a household name but he could be a shrewd pick up given the current state of the market.
The Belgian has quickly emerged as one of the best young forwards in Europe at the moment and has attracted interest from Newcastle as well, with Toon content creator Pete Davey suggesting he would make for an “exciting Gordon replacement”. Well, in this instance, he could well be an exciting replacement for Martinelli on the left-hand side of Arsenal’s attack.
Like many of their key targets this summer – most notably Julian Alvarez and Kenan Yildiz – Fernandez-Pardo is a particularly versatile attacking player.
He’s not just a winger but the youngster can also play as a centre-forward. In fact, he played 16 times as a striker last term and 13 times off the left. The Belgium international was certainly more efficient through the middle, scoring seven goals and registering four assists. Out wide, he bagged just once and supplied two assists.
That does not mean he would not improve Arsenal’s flanks, however. Indeed, like Tzolis, there is a sense that Fernandez-Pardo is simply waiting to explode at the top level.
Last season, his penalty box involvement was up there with some of the best forwards in European football. As of February 2026, the Lille star had 5.60 touches in the opposition penalty area per 90 minutes. To put that into context, Michael Olise managed 6.72 and Vini Jr registered 6.80.
This is a player who much like Tzolis is always involved. He may not have the overall output to back that up just yet – scoring eight goals and picking up seven assists last term – but his data does make for interesting reading.
When comparing Fernandez-Pardo to strikers under the age of 23 in Europe’s top five leagues last season, he ranked fourth for non-penalty expected goals plus expected assists with 12.32 per 90 minutes. He was ahead of the likes of Hugo Ektike, Benjamin Sesko and Cologne’s impressive young winger, Said El Mala.
This might not be the game-changing signing Arsenal fans expected this summer but supporters have learned not to write off a signing now after Tzolis’ explosive start. Fernandez-Pardo looks like he is cut from a similar cloth.
Playing in a more ball dominant team, his ability to influence play in the final third could go to the next level.
