Arsenal have completed a £34 million deal for Christos Tzolis, the winger who flopped at Norwich City before becoming a star in Belgium. Norwich are ninth in the Championship with 65 points from 46 games and a recent run of LDWWL.
What went wrong at Norwich City?
Tzolis joined Norwich in summer 2021 for £8.8m from PAOK, already capped by Greece at 21. He scored twice on his debut in a 6-0 Carabao Cup win over Bournemouth, but his league impact faded fast. By early November, the manager who signed him, Daniel Farke, was sacked hours after Norwich’s first league win of the season. Dean Smith’s arrival changed the system and pushed Tzolis out.
Tzolis made just 27 appearances for Norwich before leaving in summer 2024. His first loan, to FC Twente, ended early due to a knee injury. It was at Fortuna Düsseldorf in Germany where he rediscovered his scoring touch, finding the net over 20 times.
How Tzolis rebuilt his career
After Düsseldorf triggered their £3m permanent clause, Club Brugge moved in and doubled their money. In Belgium, Tzolis became a serial contributor, netting 22 goals and 29 assists last season alone. Norwich’s sporting director at the time, Stuart Webber, later said the Premier League’s physicality overwhelmed the young attacker.
“He was very young, coming into the hardest league in the world where the physicality is off the charts,” Webber told the media. “It didn’t work out because we were a struggling side.”
Why Arsenal’s move makes sense now
Arsenal need a creative outlet after Leandro Trossard’s exit to Beşiktaş. Tzolis thrives on the left wing, using his right foot to deadly effect. His Belgian league record shows he can deliver in big games, and his return to England comes with added confidence.
Norwich sit 30 points behind Coventry in the Championship race, with 63 goals scored and 56 conceded this season. Their recent form of LDWWL leaves them needing a lift, while Tzolis steps into a Premier League ready for a second act.
