Christos Tzolis, Arsenal's new £34m signing from Club Brugge, has quickly made an impression at the club's training ground. Within a week of his move, the winger excelled in pre-season fitness tests, topping charts in a specific challenge involving running over a kilometre at varying intervals. This performance has led Arsenal's fitness coaches to nickname him 'Leonidas', referencing the courageous Spartan king from the film 300.
Tzolis, who previously played in the Premier League for Norwich, believes he is now a more developed player. He scored 33 goals in two seasons at Club Brugge, including 17 goals and 23 assists in the 2025-26 campaign, which helped his side win the title. He stated, "I’m not the same player I was in Norwich, 100%. I feel it in my body and also in my mindset. Now it’s my time to show that I’m ready and capable of playing in the Premier League.”
The Greece international had two conversations with manager Mikel Arteta before his move, who advised him to continue playing as he did in the Belgian Pro League. Tzolis models his game on David Villa and scored his first pre-season goal in a 4-1 victory against Girona on Saturday.