Arsenal have reached a €40m (£34m) agreement with Club Brugge to sign striker Christos Tzolis.
The north London club are in the process of finalizing the transfer of the 24-year-old.
Athletic On June 12, it was reported that the Premier League club was considering a deal for Tsolis, with sources saying they believed a deal could be done for around €40 million.
Arsenal have been looking to bolster their attack this summer, pursuing Tsolis separately from any interest in signing Morgan Rodgers from Aston Villa or moving on to any other target.
Versatile striker Leandro Trossard’s €20 million move to Besiktas was confirmed this week.
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Arsenal made inquiries to Juventus regarding Turkey international Kenan Yildiz and were informed that Yildiz was not for sale, forcing them to consider other options as a result.
Crystal Palace made an offer for Tsolis last summer after Club Brugge rejected an offer from the south London club. Soon after, the Greek international signed a new contract until 2029.
A move to Arsenal would mark a return to England for Tsolis, who spent three seasons at Norwich City. He made 30 appearances for the club in all competitions, including 14 in the Premier League, and also had loan spells with Dutch club Twente and German club Dusseldorf before joining Club Brugge in 2024.
Last season, Tsolis scored 22 goals and provided 29 assists in 52 appearances in all competitions for Club Brugge, who won the Belgian professional league title for the 20th time.
He made 34 appearances at international level, scoring nine goals.
Analysis by Ananthajeet Raghuraman
Pace, physicality, versatility and defensive ability have been the basis of Arsenal’s recent success under Mikel Arteta. Tsolis checks all these boxes.
The big question is how well his qualities will translate in the Premier League after he made little impact in his first spell in English football, although that was with a Norwich side that was on the brink of relegation and mostly while he was still a teenager.
Much of what Tsolis achieved was due to the space in front of him. Gabriel Martinelli has also excelled when he has areas of the pitch to occupy and has scored 15 Premier League goals in the 2022-23 season. He struggled as places became crowded and football started to stop and start more often.
The “macro” qualities of Tsolis, like Arsenal striker Victor Giokeres, suggest that he will not be out of place in the Premier League. But as with the Swedish striker, who struggled at times last season but ended up scoring 21 goals in all competitions, patience will be key.