Arsenal have completed the £34m signing of Greece international Christos Tzolis from Club Brugge, with the 24-year-old forward putting pen to paper on a five-year contract at the Emirates Stadium. He arrives as a replacement for Leandro Trossard, who has moved to Besiktas, becoming the Premier League champions' third permanent signing of the summer following goalkeeper Illan Meslier and defender Piero Hincapié. The deal comes just 48 hours after Arsenal missed out on Morgan Rogers, who instead joined Chelsea for a British-record £117m fee, and lands as a timely boost for Mikel Arteta after William Saliba was ruled out for an "extensive period" with a back injury.

Tzolis scored 43 goals in 108 appearances for Club Brugge and featured against Arsenal in a 3-0 Champions League defeat last season, having also had a brief, goalless spell in the Premier League with Norwich in 2021-22 before loan stints at FC Twente and Fortuna Dusseldorf. Sporting director Andrea Berta described him as a versatile, technically excellent finisher who will raise the squad's level, while Tzolis said he was "very proud" to join the "champions of England". Saliba's back problem, which curtailed his World Cup, means he is set to miss the start of Arsenal's Premier League title defence.