Morning everyone.
A quick Friday morning blog you before I head to the golf course. After the departure of Leandro Trossard to Besiktas was confirmed this week, David Ornstein reported yesterday that Arsenal have reached an agreement with Club Brugge for the signing of Christos Tzolis.
🚨 Arsenal reach agreement with Club Brugge to sign Christos Tzolis. Deal for 24yo left winger done at €40m asking price set by #ClubBrugge. Move in process of being finalised; Greece international wanted/prioritised #AFC switch throughout 🚨 @theathleticfc.bsky.socialwww.nytimes.com/athletic/735…
— David Ornstein (@david-ornstein.bsky.social) 2026-07-16T13:38:53.902Z
The 24 year old will cost up to €40m, I’m guessing that’s the final figure with achievements etc, and he will now travel to London for a medical. I’m all right with this kind of signing, even if the player’s career trajectory raises an eyebrow. Not everyone does it in a linear fashion, sometimes there are late bloomers, and having watched a few compilations, there’s certainly finishing ability, quick feet, and creativity there. He’s a solid, robust looking lump of a lad too.
Of course highlight reels don’t give you anything like the full picture. You could have watched Viktor Gyokeres score 54 goals and make 13 assists for Sporting in the 2024-25 season and been wowed by his output. Tzolis got 22 goals and 29 assists in all competitions for Club Brugge last season, really impressive numbers, but like Gyokeres it will be about how much, and how quickly, he can produce in the Premier League. Given some of our potential injury issues going into the new season, hopefully the answer to that is ‘soon’. The other thing I’d add about this one is that in comparison to some of the other players we’ve been linked with this summer, this is pretty straightforward one to get done, so that’s a nice bonus.
There’s also increasing chat about Morgan Rogers, with Johnny Here-We-Go saying – between his posts shilling for crypto, planet devouring Ai, and anyone who will pay him for a Tweet – Arsenal are stepping up interest in the Aston Villa man. I’ve heard from elsewhere that the club are ready to make their move for the 23 year old, but I don’t expect this to be anything other than tremendously complicated. Villa have already made it clear they won’t let him go without a fee that comes close to the £116m Man City paid for Elliot Anderson.
Personally, I think that’s way too much for Morgan Rogers, but I also think it’s way too much for Anderson too. If that’s the market price though, there’s not a lot you can do but pay it if you really want the player. Is it too cynical of me to suggest that City’s willingness to pay that for Anderson isn’t just about getting the player, but also skewing the market? Maybe Nottingham Forest played a blinder in negotiations, but we also know money doesn’t really matter to City whose accountants, creative or otherwise, will find a way to work it out.
The other thing you can do, if the price feels a bit big, is look elsewhere for a player that fits the profile you want. Rogers feels like a player that ticks a lot of boxes for Mikel Arteta. He’s tall, pretty quick without being super-pacy, a really good athlete, versatile in that he can play multiple positions, has Premier League experience, chips in with decent numbers (12 goals and 14 assists in 55 games last season), and he does have excellent final third ability. When it gets that specific though, when that’s what the manager covets, it’s hard to find alternatives.
If you remove the ‘Premier League experience’ part though, there must be plenty of players across the continent and perhaps even South America who fit the bill. How willing is Arteta to omit that crucial factor though? I suspect ‘not very’ is the answer there, but I guess we’ll see. Between this one, and Bruno Guimaraes, you’re probably looking at an outlay of close to £200m for two players, which is, even in the current climate, a lot. Not to mention they’re both complicated deals to get done. How much will that impact spending after a big spree last summer?
I’ve also read reports, unsubstantiated as yet, that William Saliba has been playing at the World Cup with a fracture in his back. Fracture is a horrible word but can be less horrible than it sounds. All the same, when it comes to your back, it’s not good, and it seems likely we’ll need to spend on some defensive reinforcement too. Unless they’re sure of, or willing to take a risk with, the fitness of both Jurrien Timber and Ben White. For me though, as much as I love both those guys, that would be a bit like going to the casino, putting everything you have on red, and then realising you’re playing a slot machine.
So, as the World Cup nears its end, the rumour mill starts to heat up, and I expect plenty more over the coming days and weeks. Right, I’m gonna leave it there for this morning and attempt to hit the golf ball in a straight line, unlike last week’s slice-fest. How difficult can it be? That’s a rhetorical questions, please don’t answer.
There’s an Arsecast for you below, have a nice Friday folks.
