In recent seasons, Hull City have become addicted to making transfers, and if nothing else, it’s made the transfer window a fascinating and chaotic period.
Huge numbers of players have arrived, with vast quantities leaving. During that period, there have been those deals that have worked, those that haven’t, and then there are the ones where the jury remains out.
If nothing else, you can’t accuse the club of lacking ambition, because, ultimately, they’ve got their way back into the Premier League above clubs with far bigger budgets and resources.
Amongst the plethora of arrivals, Regan Slater may well go down as one of Hull City’s best-ever transfers, having joined the club initially on loan before completing a £50,000 move from Sheffield United and then going on to play more than two hundred games from League One into the Premier League, captaining the club on numerous occasions and winning a host of awards.
But at the other end of the financial scale is Konstantinos Tzolakis, who initially broke City’s transfer record this summer (before Nobel Mendy surpassed it) when he joined in a deal worth a potential £20m from Greek giants Olympiacos.
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For those wondering, you could get four hundred Regan Slaters for the price of Tzolakis – surely there is a way that can be woven into a terrace anthem?
Already, the impressive stopper has made an impression both domestically and internationally. The 23-year-old kept eye-catching clean sheets in City’s first three Premier League games against Manchester United, Coventry City and Aston Villa. Despite defeat at Newcastle United last time out, he rebuffed Yoane Wissa from the penalty spot, and that gave his side a fighting chance in the second period.
While away with his country, Tzolakis has played in all four of his country’s Nations League games and helped Greece go unbeaten, keeping two clean sheets against Germany. He impressed in Augsburg last week to help his side claim a famous 1-0 win in Jurgen Klopp’s first home in charge, and then kept them out on Sunday night in Thessaloniki as both sides played out a goalless draw.
When it comes to save percentage, Tzolakis ranks fourth only behind James Trafford (Leeds United), Jordan Pickford (Everton) and Caoimhin Kelleher (Brentford), and his 20 saves see him fifth. His performances in the top-flight have so far seen him average over seven out of 10, highlighting his consistency.
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In total, he’s played nine games for club and country, making 32 saves across those outings and has kept five clean sheets. Impressive numbers.
It was suggested that David Raya was worth at least 10 points to Arsenal on their way to winning the title last season, and it’s likely Tzolakis will be worth a similar amount to City this term, should they manage to survive in their first season back in the big league.
Playing on the big stage, of course, is nothing new to him, having represented Greece’s biggest club, playing in the Champions League and for his country, so the perils of the Premier League should hold no fear.
Having a dominant goalkeeper like the Greek international is so important, especially to a newly-promoted side, and while he’s still young and still learning, Tzolakis has already shown why City were right to invest such a significant amount. It’s heartening that he has enjoyed an unbeaten four games with his country, played well, and will arrive back in England full of confidence and ready for what the next five games will throw at him before November’s international break.
There may have been some raised eyebrows at City spending the best part of £20m on Tzolakis, but at the age of 23, his value is only going to rise, and based on his form so far, it suggests even at that price, he represents very good value for money. If he and City can continue their early-season form, and he does his bit to keep the Tigers in the Premier League, then he will surely be considered one of the club’s most important transfer deals in recent years, just like Slater.
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