Arsenal have agreed in principle with Club Brugge to sign forward Christos Tzolis in a €40m (£33.9m) deal.
A formal bid has yet to be submitted but is considered a formality, and personal terms are expected to be straightforward. Once the offer goes in, Tzolis will undergo a medical before signing a long-term contract.
BBC Sport reported on Tuesday that Arsenal stepped up their pursuit of Tzolis after Leandro Trossard left for Besiktas. Sporting director Andrea Berta has led the negotiations, following assistant Maurizio Micheli’s recent scouting of the 24-year-old for Greece against Sweden.
The Tzolis move is separate from Arsenal’s plan to recruit at least one marquee forward this summer. They still hold long-standing interest in Atletico Madrid’s Julian Alvarez, their top target, though Barcelona and Real Madrid are also keen on the Argentina international.
Morgan Rogers is Arsenal’s preferred option for a versatile forward, with talks expected to accelerate once his World Cup duties with England conclude. If a deal with Aston Villa—who are reportedly valuing Rogers at £130m—cannot be reached, PSG’s Bradley Barcola is considered the alternative.