Christos Tzolis has revealed that his excitement over a potential move to Arsenal helped him stay fit over the summer. The Greek winger joined the Gunners from Club Brugge for £34 million, signing a five-year contract.
Tzolis earned a second chance in the Premier League after two superb seasons in Belgium, having struggled earlier in his career at Norwich. He emerged as a surprise target for Arsenal when it became clear Leandro Trossard was set to leave.
Preparing for the move
Tzolis was following the transfer speculation himself and ensured a particularly professional summer. He said: "I had 27 days of holidays, not full holidays - I worked also to be ready because I heard the rumours, so I said I need to be ready! I need to be in good shape and fit. So I worked hard also during the summer. Then I did preparation already with Brugge for two weeks, so I'm quite fit to start here."
Tzolis added: "It's absolutely amazing to sign for such a big club, the champions of England. I'm very proud to be part of this team for the next season. When my agent was saying maybe it was a possibility, I was already excited. Afterwards it was getting more serious and now I'm here."
Conversation with Arteta
Tzolis revealed he had a positive meeting with Mikel Arteta: "I had a nice conversation. It was around an hour. We talked about everything, about the club, about myself, about his plans, about me of course, about the team. It was only positive things."
Tzolis played against Arsenal last season in the Champions League, a match Arteta's side won 3-0. He scored 22 goals and registered 29 assists in all competitions but was kept quiet in that game.
Premier League knowledge
"I love to watch football, I know everything about the Premier League, I know everything about Arsenal," he said. "I watched so many games this year and especially we played against each other. I can say it was the most difficult team to attack against that I’ve played so far. We played against other big teams, but against Arsenal, we had the most difficulties to make clear chances."
Silverware ambitions
Tzolis won the Belgian Pro League with Brugge and the player of the year award. He is eyeing more silverware at Arsenal but his first challenge is to force his way into the starting lineup. "My targets are to win titles, of course," Tzolis said. "I think for everybody the target is there, as many as possible. And to have as much as possible game time with the team, then the rest will come, I'm sure about that. So for me the most important is to settle well in the team, have a good feeling, play as much as possible and then we'll be very good, I believe."
