Kai Havertz has delivered his verdict on new Arsenal signing Christos Tzolis after the Gunners’ pre-season friendly win over Girona.
Mikel Arteta’s side beat Girona 4-1 in their first game since the Champions League final back in May.
Havertz, Max Dowman, Gabriel Jesus and summer signing Tzolis were all on target as Arsenal proved too strong for Spanish side Girona.
The pre-season friendly gave Arsenal fans their first glimpse at Tzolis following his £34m move from Club Brugge.
Get personalised football updates every day
Sign up to our daily football newsletter and choose your team to get the latest news, rumours and more direct to your inbox every morning.
Arteta targeted the Greece international after Leandro Trossard left the Emirates Stadium to join Turkish side Besiktas.
Asked for his first impressions of Tzolis, Arsenal title winner Havertz told the club’s official website: ‘Amazing. I think you saw his quality from the first minute.
‘I mean, I saw it already a couple of years ago when I saw him playing in Germany. He’s a top guy and a top player, we’re all very glad to have him here.’
Discussing Arsenal’s pre-season friendly more generally, Havertz added: ‘I think it was a good win. You saw already the connections we had on the pitch.
‘It was a good test for us against a good team and I think we played strong. We need to continue like that now.
‘Now is a new season, new standards and we need to do more to achieve our goals again.
‘Of course, we had a good year last year but we want more trophies to make the fans happy and that’s what we’re here for.’
Arteta was also asked about Tzolis’ impact after Arsenal’s first of four pre-season friendlies and said fans would ‘love’ the 24-year-old.
‘I’m very pleased with him,’ said Arteta. ‘First of all, the way he has adapted to the club, to the team.
‘The connection he’s already generated with the boys. I think you’re going to love the player. He’s a very direct player.
‘He’s got the ball between the eyes. I think really good at linking up. He has a lot of similarities with Leo [Trossard] in a lot of the things that he can do and the spaces he can occupy.
‘And then the work ethic that he has. He’s a boy that comes with so much hunger as well and wants to prove it. It’s a dream for him and we are here to help him.’
Arsenal have three more pre-season friendlies – against Real Betis, Borussia Dortmund and Como – before facing Manchester City in the Community Shield.
Arteta’s side then begin their Premier League title defence with a home match against newly-promoted Coventry City on August 21.
Asked about the difference going into the new season as champions, Arteta said: ‘I think we have even more responsibility and more ambition than before.
‘We know what is ahead. We know the qualities and the capacity that we have to compete with any other team. We need to prove that we belong at this level.’
For more stories like this, check our sport page.
Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.