Arsenal's Left Winger Solution: Christos Tzolis Impresses

Arsenal may yet spend again before the window shuts on September 1, but Jamie Carragher is convinced the answer to their left‑wing question is already in the building.

The former Liverpool defender was glowing in his assessment of Christos Tzolis after the Greek winger lit up Arsenal’s 3-0 win over Coventry City, laying on an assist for Bukayo Saka and looking every inch a £34m signing ready for the spotlight.

Carragher: “What a left winger Arsenal have got”

Tzolis, brought in from Club Brugge as Arsenal chase back-to-back Premier League titles and a deeper run in the Champions League, arrived under the assumption he would effectively replace Leandro Trossard. Trossard departed for Besiktas this summer, leaving behind the legacy of a player who helped deliver the club’s first league crown in over 20 years.

Instead of easing his way in, Tzolis has kicked the door down.

He impressed throughout pre-season and caught the eye in the Community Shield win over Manchester City, making it clear he has no intention of being a squad filler. His full Premier League debut only reinforced that feeling.

Speaking on Sky Sports after the Coventry victory, Carragher didn’t hold back.

“Tzolis has been excellent on his Premier League debut. What a left winger Arsenal have got,” he said, underlining the belief that Mikel Arteta might not need to spend big to fix that flank.

Arteta thrilled with “direct, incisive” new signing

Arteta echoed that excitement, delighted by how quickly Tzolis has connected with the Arsenal crowd and slotted into the attacking structure.

“I love that a player that has been with us just for a few weeks gets this kind of energy every time he's on the ball. I think he's earned it,” the Arsenal manager said.

“I think the way he has performed in the last few games has been phenomenal. What he transmits as a player is so direct, so incisive, constantly. He wants to make things happen, and he has done an incredible variety of actions in the last 30 metres.

“I think it's up to him to make the right decisions. Even the spaces are sometimes really, really small. I'm very happy with him.

“It was great because the start is always tricky; we played a team that had a long time to prepare as well, and they are really good at what they do, but I've been really impressed with what I have seen so far.”

Those are not the words of a manager treating a new arrival as a rotation piece. They sound like the foundations of a key role.

Big names linked, big fees looming

That praise lands at a time when Arsenal are actively scouring the market for another left-sided attacker. They explored the possibility of a headline-grabbing move for Vinicius Junior, only to see the Brazilian commit his future to Real Madrid with a new contract at the Bernabeu.

The shortlist has not stopped there. Julian Alvarez, Bradley Barcola and Kenan Yildiz have all been linked, each of them the type of forward who would demand a huge fee and a central place in any project.

Arsenal’s recruitment team continue to hunt for “more quality in the final third”, but Carragher’s verdict cuts through the noise. With Tzolis already delivering goals and assists from that channel, the club may have stumbled upon the solution they were prepared to spend heavily to find.

The window is still open. The chequebook is ready. The question now is simple: do Arsenal really need another left winger when the one they’ve just bought is already playing like he owns the position?