Speaking ahead of last season, pundit Jamie Carragher made the prediction that Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta would favour Kai Havertz over Viktor Gyokeres for the big games, despite the Swede having only just arrived on a bumper £63.5m deal.
While Havertz subsequently spent much of 2025/26 on the sidelines, that prophecy somewhat came true in the end, with the German ultimately getting the nod for last month’s Champions League final.
Gyokeres may have ended his first season back in England as the Gunners’ top scorer, both in all competitions and in the Premier League, yet that omission in Budapest spoke to his at-times unconvincing performances in that number nine berth.
It would be fair to say that he hasn’t been aided too much by those around him, however, with this a striker who needs plentiful service. Could that all change with a raft of signings this summer?
Big-money Arsenal target is now very keen to join this summer
Gyokeres may have scored 14 league goals, but the lack of regular service was a clear issue, with Martin Odegaard and Leandro Trossard leading the way in the squad for assists, despite actually only chalking up six in that regard.
|
Arsenal – PL assists 25/26 |
|
|---|---|
|
Player |
Record |
|
Odegaard |
6 |
|
Trossard |
6 |
|
Rice |
5 |
|
Saka |
5 |
|
Timber |
5 |
|
Gabriel |
4 |
|
Martinelli |
4 |
|
Merino |
3 |
|
Havertz |
3 |
Only Declan Rice (17) and Bukayo Saka (12), reached double figures for ‘big chances’ created too, albeit with even that record somewhat skewed by the pair’s set-piece prowess.
The forward line, on the whole, simply didn’t hit the heights expected, with change likely to be in the offing amid reports that Trossard is a target for Besiktas.
A replacement in that left-wing berth will be needed, therefore, with Arsenal sources reporting that the Gunners are in ‘direct contact’ regarding a deal for Club Brugge starlet, Christos Tzolis.
As per the report, the Greek winger is ‘very keen’ to make the move to north London, with the backroom staff at the club said to have been impressed with him ‘for a while’.
A key factor is likely to be the price tag, albeit with The Athletic’s David Ornstein reporting that the 24-year-old could command a fee of around £35m, ensuring any deal wouldn’t impact more high-profile pursuits.
Why Tzolis signing would be perfect for Gyokeres
As noted above, there appeared to be a lack of cohesion between Gyokeres and the rest of the forward line, with the Swede actually only registering 0.6 shots on target per game.
The one-time Coventry City man has his faults, undoubtedly, but it’s fair to say he simply wasn’t found enough by those around him, unable to showcase the type of form that saw him hit 97 in 102 games back at Sporting CP.
He might well be licking his lips then at the prospect of linking up with Tzolis in north London, with the former Norwich City man having chalked up a ridiculous haul of assists in 2025/26.
Operating in the Belgian top-flight, outside of Europe’s top five leagues, does provide something of a caveat, but it’s hard not to be excited by what he produced, with the £35m-rated man registering a staggering 23 assists in the Pro League.
In all, he created 25 ‘big chances’ from his wide role, while also averaging a stellar 3.8 key passes per game, such a ridiculously consistent creative force.
For context, the man who led the way in the Premier League last season for assists was Bruno Fernandes with 21, albeit with the Portuguese creating 33 ‘big chances’ and averaging a similar 3.9 key passes per game.
For Tzolis to be in a similar ballpark truly is mouthwatering, suggesting that he can be the man to feed Gyokeres at every available opportunity.
Equally too, the Gunners target could also help to ease the goalscoring burden on Arsenal’s number 14, with Gyokeres the only player to reach double figures for league goals in 2025/26.
Tzolis’ goalscoring record in Belgium really has been terrific, notching 17 alongside his 23 assists last time out, after previously scoring 16 and registering nine assists in 2024/25.
The year prior to that, the fleet-footed talent also hit 22 goals for Fortuna Düsseldorf in Germany’s second tier, having come alive that season out on loan from Norwich.
On the evidence of the last two campaigns, in particular, Tzolis really does look like the complete package, someone who can ease the pressure on Gyokeres in front of goal, but also supply the Scandinavian with a stream of quality opportunities.
This could prove something of a masterstroke for the Gunners and for Arteta.
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