Breaking: Arsenal wants to sign a young Bologna star for £50 million.
Arsenal is watching Joshua Zirkzee of Bologna closely as they look for possible targets to bolster Mikel Arteta’s assault. The striker is well-liked by Arsenal.
The recurrent goal-scoring problems and subsequent knee injury sustained by star striker Gabriel Jesus, coupled with doubts over Eddie Nketiah’s long-term future at the club, have made Arsenal’s need for another attacker increasingly urgent in recent weeks. With 22 games for Bologna this season, Zirkzee has eight goals and four assists. At six feet four inches, he would provide Arteta’s team with an other attacking option.
However, it is anticipated that any forward trade this month will be extremely difficult, and according to Telegraph Sport, Bologna would demand a price of almost £50 million. Arsenal needs to exercise caution with their finances following a summer expenditure of almost £200 million, but they are willing to do business in January. The club’s current consensus is that, while healthy, their roster is well-balanced, and any new players would need to be able to significantly improve the team.
Arteta this week warned that it would be “unrealistic” to expect a new striker to come in January. So, at the end of the season, a move for Zirkzee might be more likely, should Arsenal opt to intensify their original interest. Zirkzee’s sporting director, Marco Di Vaio, stated last month that the Dutchman is a “unique” player, indicating that Bologna has no intention of selling him this winter.Zirkzee, who was signed by Bayern Munich from Feyenoord when still a teenager, has a release clause, but Di Vaio indicated that it is only applicable to Bayern Munich. Before spending the 2021–2022 season on loan at Anderlecht, Zirkzee scored four goals in 17 appearances for Bayern. Then he scored 18 goals in 47 games, and Bologna reportedly paid him roughly £7 million for his services.
In his 19 appearances for the under-21 team, the 22-year-old has scored seven goals, making him a fixture at the junior level for the Netherlands. Not just Zirkzee, a young Dutch player, has drawn Arsenal’s attention. Arsenal is preparing a bid for Ajax defender Jorrel Hato, as revealed by Telegraph Sport earlier this month.