This summer was a frustrating one, not just for the Arsenal hierarchy but also for their supporters.
This was supposed to be a landmark transfer window, a market in which the Gunners used their status as Premier League champions to secure some of Europe’s elite talent.
While they did sign former Newcastle captain Bruno Guimaraes, he was the only marquee addition of the window for Mikel Arteta.
Try as they might, Christos Tzolis ended up being the only first-team addition to their forward line. That’s a big concern.
How Arsenal can overcome their Christos Tzolis problem
When Tzolis signed in a £34m deal from Club Brugge in the summer, it is likely the Greek will have been told that he was unlikely to be a regular starter.
After all, the English champions were also pushing hard to sign Morgan Rogers at the time. Had he arrived, he will have been first choice on Arsenal’s left flank.
Alas, he was one of a number of targets who did not head to the Emirates Stadium. It’s a long list that includes Vinicius Junior, Bradley Barcola and Julian Alvarez.
They wanted an elite forward but all Andrea Berta could deliver was Tzolis. During the infant stages of his Arsenal career, this looked fine.
The 24-year-old has impressed significantly since trading Belgium for England, registering goal involvements against Girona, Real Betis and Borussia Dortmund in pre-season, as well as assisting two goals against Manchester City in the Community Shield.
However, as he participated in his first Premier League away game for Arsenal on Monday night, Tzolis endured a wretched evening at Villa Park, so much so that he was hauled off at half-time.
It was incredibly untimely, particularly with just a day left of the window. That said, Eberechi Eze did provide room for encouragement. Perhaps he could be the solution to the problem.
Tzolis vs Aston Villa | |
|---|---|
Minutes played | 45 |
Touches | 24 |
Accurate passes | 9/10 (90%) |
Key passes | 1 |
Accurate crosses | 0/3 |
Shots | 0 |
Successful dribbles | 0/3 |
Possession lost | 9x |
Duels won | 1/6 |
It was fitting really that Eze’s fine performance from the left this week came at a ground where Arteta lost faith in the former Crystal Palace man.
Cast your mind back to last season. Eze was selected as the left winger in this fixture but was substituted at the interval after failing to track Matty Cash in the build up to Aston Villa’s first goal.
Well, this time around he made a really encouraging impact, notably playing the ball down the line for Riccardo Calafiori in the build-up to the game’s only goal.
So, he looks like a fine option right now, but there are others. Noni Madueke could play out on the left, as could Bukayo Saka. It’s not ideal but Arteta and Co will need to prepare for the future to ensure this sort of window does not happen again.
Arsenal’s future solutions
When it came to improving the attacking line this summer, Arsenal did not do a good job. In fact, they arguably look even weaker up top as the transfer window ends.
They lost two important figures in Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli, while Gabriel Jesus headed to Barcelona and Ethan Nwaneri has joined Borussia Dortmund on loan.
The Gunners have lost four options and only signed one replacement in the form of Tzolis. That said, while they may not have secured win-now options, Berta has performed some strong work behind the scenes to future proof the team.
Last autumn, they announced pre-contract agreements to sign Ecuardorian twins Holger and Edwin Quintero and another exciting wonderkid looks as though they are on the way.
On transfer deadline day it was revealed that Arsenal had agreed a deal to sign 17-year-old Andria Bartishvili from Kolkheti 1913 in his homeland of Georgia.
Fabrizio Romano then confirmed on Tuesday that the player is ‘signing this week’ and has been snapped at the airport on his way to London.
Bartishvili will not officially move to Arsenal until the summer of 2027 when he turns 18 so he will not impact anything this term. However, in the years to come, expect him to develop into something pretty special.
Celebrated as “the next Khvicha Kvaratskhelia” by many in the game, not just because of their shared of their shared nationality, but the young Georgian possesses very similar traits.
Capable of playing as an attacking midfielder or on the flanks, he could well pose a threat to Tzolis in the coming years. Based on that comparison to Kvaratskhelia and his attributes, he has everything required to be a top forward.
Like his fellow countryman and much like Tzolis actually, the teenager is a great ball manipulator, he’s got such quick feet, can turn on a dime and drives forward with such purpose. His dribbling isn’t half bad either. In fact, that’s his best trait. He’s exceptional in tight spaces and can wriggle out of most scenarios.
As European football expert Bence Bocsak suggests, Bartishvili’s “potential is enormous”. If he continues to emulate Kvaratskhelia then Arsenal will have an incredible player on their hands.
Supporters must be patient with this development but it does look as though the Gunners have found a real gem here, a player with even more talent in his locker than Tzolis.
