Arsenal's new signing Christos Tzolis is confident he can become a regular under Mikel Arteta despite the club's ongoing interest in Vinicius Junior. The Greece international joined from Club Brugge last month for £34 million, becoming the Gunners' third summer signing, but a potential blockbuster move for the Real Madrid winger could impact his prospects at the Emirates.
Tzolis' impressive scoring record
Tzolis has scored more than 20 goals in each of the last three seasons, initially with German side Dusseldorf and then during his two years in Belgium. The 24-year-old has underlined his confidence in his own ability and insists that when he gets the opportunity to impress, he will put Arteta on notice as he bids to secure a starting spot.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Tzolis said: "Obviously I'm confident as a player, so I don't think about the future and what the club will do in this position. I'm thinking how to improve and settle as fast as possible in the club because I have the opportunity to train directly with the team from the beginning of the season, to play the friendly games and then to go to official games."
He added: "So it's a chance to play directly from the beginning - and then it's up to me to show the qualities and what I can bring in the team. I'm pretty confident that I will show it in the next games."
Arsenal's attacking depth and Vinicius interest
Arsenal are not short of depth in the final third, but adding more firepower is one of their summer priorities. Tzolis will battle with Gabriel Martinelli, Noni Madueke, and Eberechi Eze for a starting role, and the Gunners could yet add Vinicius before the summer ends.
Their interest in the Real Madrid star is well documented, and they want to seize on the uncertainty surrounding his future with contract talks rumbling on in Spain. Vinicius returned to the club for his first pre-season training session on Monday following his World Cup campaign with Brazil.
Jose Mourinho wants the winger to remain at Real, but his wage demands are proving a sticking point. Real Madrid do not want to lose him for nothing, which would be the case next summer when his contract expires. The major stumbling block in negotiations is Vinicius' desire to be the team's top earner, ahead of Kylian Mbappe. Real want to maintain their salary structure, with the Frenchman currently sitting top of their wage list.
