Premier League champions Arsenal have gathered information on Club Brugge left-back Joaquin Seys, following their 40 million euro summer acquisition of winger Christos Tzolis, according to reports from VoetbalNieuws.be. The potential move highlights a broader shift in the European transfer market, where major clubs increasingly bypass intermediate leagues to secure direct signings from the Jupiler Pro League.
Arsenal Tracks Joaquin Seys After Record-Breaking Summer Deal
Club Brugge set a national transfer record last summer when Arsenal paid roughly €40 million to bring Christos Tzolis to the Emirates Stadium. The Greek international quickly established himself as a regular fixture under Mikel Arteta, featuring in eight matches and tallying four assists across all competitions before suffering a thigh injury on international duty, VoetbalPrimeur.be reported. Building on those established ties with the Belgian club, Arsenal scouts have now placed 21-year-old defender Joaquin Seys on their radar, according to transfer analyst Ekrem Konur.
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🚨 #ClubBrugge Benfica, Aston Villa, Arsenal & Manchester United tracking Joaquin Seys.
📌 Arsenal → Gathered info at same time as United.
👀 Interest → On radar of European clubs.
https://t.co/2RtcTohFu0
— Ekrem KONUR (@Ekremkonur) October 8, 2026
Defensive Depth and Competition at the Emirates
While Arsenal boasts Italian international Riccardo Calafiori as a primary option at left-back, defensive cover remains an area of examination for the North London club. Although Piero Hincapié primarily operates as a central defender, adding a specialist left-sided defender remains a consideration for squad depth, VoetbalNieuws.be noted. However, Arsenal faces stiff competition for Seys’ signature. Manchester United has similarly gathered background information on the Belgian title-holder, while Aston Villa and Portuguese giants SL Benfica are also monitoring the defender’s trajectory.
Concurrently, Arsenal’s recruitment team continues to assess attacking reinforcements. Voetbalkrant.com reported that the Gunners have maintained contact regarding Red Bull Leipzig winger Antonio Nusa—who also spent time in Belgium with Club Brugge—alongside Juventus prospect Kenan Yıldız. Those potential moves could increase competition for places on the flanks once Tzolis completes his expected three-to-four-week recovery from a muscle strain sustained while playing for the Greece national team against the Netherlands.
Shifting Economics of the Jupiler Pro League
Historically, elite European clubs rarely purchased players directly from the Belgian top flight without an intermediary step in a secondary league. That landscape has evolved significantly in recent seasons, powered largely by Club Brugge’s consistent participation in the UEFA Champions League group stages. Those continental showcases turned the club into a prime shop window for top-five European leagues, culminating in the record-breaking departures that have reshaped how Premier League scouts operate in Belgium.
As the winter transfer window approaches, no formal bids have been tabled for Seys, leaving the defender’s immediate future subject to further scouting developments across England and Portugal.
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