Emmanuel Petit says he's seen a player at Arsenal who plays just like Khvicha Kvaratskhelia
Arsenal could do with a player like Khvicha Kvaratskhelia this summer.
The Gunners have sold Leandro Trossard already, while Gabriel Martinelli is expected to move to Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia imminently.
That leaves them short of options on the left flank, but Emmanuel Petit has heaped praise on Mikel Arteta’s main man in that position: Christos Tzolis.
Emmanuel Petit compares new Arsenal signing Christos Tzolis to Khvicha Kvaratskhelia
Arsenal signed Tzolis from Club Brugge in a £34 million deal earlier this summer.
The Greek international directly contributed to over 50 goals for the Belgian club last season and was easily the best player in the division.
Arsenal pulled off a masterstroke getting a player like Tzolis for so little money in a window where multiple players have cost over £100 million.
The 24-year-old has hit the ground running too, with his performances since the start of pre-season impressing everybody.
Petit is one of them, and he has now compared Tzolis to the best left winger on the planet – Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.
He told Oddschecker: “He has quality, tactical intelligence, movement, technique, and the way he runs with the ball.
“He reminds me sometimes of Kvaratskhelia with Paris Saint-Germain – the way he runs with the ball and tries to unbalance his opponent.
“With him, we have something quite different from other wingers at Arsenal. When he gets past his opponent and crosses the ball, he knows exactly where he wants to put it. That makes a huge difference and brings something very interesting.
“Again, I hope he won’t get injured because there is only Gabriel Martinelli on the left-hand side.”
Mikel Arteta will have to manage Christos Tzolis very carefully at Arsenal
Arsenal could be left with Tzolis as their only natural left winger.
The Greek attacker has shown that he is good enough to do a job, but when the Gunners start playing three games a week, he will need help.
The best solution would be signing a new left winger before the window shuts on Tuesday, but that is looking unlikely now.
So, Arteta will need to manage Tzolis very carefully – not just to keep him fresh but also to avoid injuries caused by overplaying.
