Arsenal’s deal for Christos Tzolis this summer was one that wasn’t just celebrated by the player and Genk. There was plenty of other people watching the move develop with pride.
Among that group were former Twente technical director Jan Streuer and coach Ron Jans, who both worked with the Greek forward at the Dutch club.
Tzolis played for Twente in 2022, joining on loan from Norwich City after initially struggling at Carrow Road when he joined in 2021.
Twente disappointment
His year in the Netherlands proved to be a disappointing one, with him managing just three goals and 513 minutes in 15 appearances for them.
A knee injury, which sidelined him for several months, was a large part of that.
Tzolis eventually returned to Norwich after just six months, later going on loan to Fortune Dusseldorf and then joining Club Brugge in 2024.
That was where his development took off, with 43 goals and 45 assists in 108 games leading him to Arsenal.
| Christos Tzolis — club stats, all competitions | 2024/25 | 2025/26 | 2026/27 so far |
|---|---|---|---|
| Club | Club Brugge | Club Brugge | Arsenal |
| Appearances | 56 | 52 | 8 |
| Starts | 53 | 49 | 6 |
| Minutes played | 4,352 | 4,391 | 494 |
| Goals | 21 | 22 | 0 |
| Assists | 14 | 29 | 4 |
| Goal contributions | 35 | 51 | 4 |
Unforseen development
Jans did not see that development coming from the player he worked with at Twente, though.
“You’d catch the occasional glimpse that made you think he’s got something special,” he told ESPN.
“That lad did a fantastic job at Bruges, but you couldn’t have foreseen back then that he would make it this far.”
“Even then, though, you could see he had specific qualities: incredibly direct towards goal, fast, and a good shot. He also has the physical attributes,” added Streuer. That lad has really developed tremendously. To be playing for Arsenal now – that’s wonderful. Hats off to him!”
Jans also looks on with some amazement at the path his former protégé has taken.
“He wasn’t considered good enough at Norwich City, and now he’s at Arsenal. That’s the beauty of football—truly wonderful,” he concluded.
Now the pair will be watching on as the Greek forward looks to establish himself at the Emirates, something he already appears well on his way to doing.
