Coming up clutch, team trips to the beach and winning trophies, Christos Tzolis has enjoyed a whirlwind two years at Club Brugge.
The 24-year-old joins us from Belgium having made 40 goal contributions in his final season to steer Brugge to the league title.
To get a flavour of what the Greek international is like both on and off the pitch, we caught up with journalist Tomas Taecke, who has been covering the side for media giants HLN since 2011.
BIG GAME PLAYER
The Belgian league is decided each season by the Champions’ play-offs during which the top six sides play each other twice to determine the champions.
This is where the big players stand up and make a name for themselves, an occasion which Tzolis revelled in during his two campaigns.
In 25/26, he netted eight times in 10 games to help secure the championship for Brugge, something which caught the eye of Taecke.
He said: “If you look at the all-time score sheet in those play-offs, I think he is already, in only two seasons, in the high spots for goals and assists. He has incredible numbers in those games.
“In the most important part of the season, he does amazing things. You can say when it’s starting to get important, he stands up and takes the team by his hand; that’s a great trait to have, especially joining a club like Arsenal who are fighting for the biggest titles.”
‘BY FAR THE BEST’
In 25/26, Tzolis was simply a cut above the rest in the Belgian league. He created the most chances (135), completed the most dribbles (40), and made the most progressive carries (359) by quite some distance. It was enough to earn him Belgian Professional Footballer of the Year for 25/26.
In his time covering Brugge, Tomas has been treated a host of fine wingers, but Tzolis stands out.
He said: “He’s just a very complete player who loves to run with the ball, running through the centre of the field.
“Since Brugge started to win the league again in 2016, they have developed a lot of great wingers, scoring and assisting a lot.
“I think Christos is by far the best they had. If you see his numbers, it’s amazing what he did in two years.
“Even if he’s not in the game, he will always do something, making the runs, doing defensive work. That’s a good thing he takes up to Arsenal, I think, because the physical job he does being a winger is really amazing.”
POPULAR FIGURE
Tzolis’ contribution on the pitch is well documented, but away from the field of play, he’s also played a big part in Brugge’s success.
“Off the pitch, his importance cannot be understated,” the HLN journalist said. “He really turned into someone who was the glue for both the young guys in the squad and the international guys.
“They had a very good atmosphere in the dressing room and that’s a big part thanks to him. He’s often involved in the creative goal celebrations the players do; you might see some of that soon.”
In a bid to boost team unity even further, the Greek international organised a trip to the coast with his team mates.
Tomas explains: “There’s one thing that’s very exemplary for the way he thinks and feels with his teammates.
“On the Belgian coast, we have lots of small, wooden beach cabins that people rent in summer. It’s very typical for Belgium.
“It’s not typical for a footballer to rent one but Christos did, and all the guys from the team, when the weather was good, gathered at his beach house.
“It’s a good example to show how bonded he is to the team.
“He will be missed here. No one is surprised he is leaving because the last two years he was really too big for this competition.”