According to Italian outlet Juvelive.it, Arsenal are ready to make an ‘important offer’ for Bologna striker Joshua Zirkzee ahead of the summer window.
The 22-year-old has had a good campaign with Bologna in the Italian top-flight. He recently scored his 10th goal of the season in the 2-1 win over Lazio. The Dutchman has also registered six assists this term.
Milan, Juventus and Napoli are among the clubs following the former Bayern Munich man, but JuveLive.it suggest that it’s Arsenal who are leading the chase for his signature.
The report says the Gunners are ready to make an ‘important offer’ for Zirkzee as Mikel Arteta looks to land one of his key targets to fill the hole they have in attack. Bologna value the striker at around £43m, as per the report, which also makes his an affordable purchase for Arsenal.
Good potential
Arsenal have been lagging behind in the centre-forward department this season. The goals have been distributed throughout the squad just like last season, but the club are still yearning for an elite marksman. Gabriel Jesus has impressed in stages, but he has missed plenty of games this term due to a nagging knee problem.
Eddie Nketiah has been unable to impress as a deputy. In recent weeks, manager Arteta has been content to play either Leandro Trossard or Kai Havertz from the false 9 position. Arsenal are bound to pursue a new striker in the summer and Zirkzee could be an option, judging by the constant speculation in the Italian media.
Zirkzee had a forgettable debut campaign with Bologna, but he has started to repay the faith in his second year. The striker has 16 goal involvements in the ongoing season. Aside from his goals and assists, he has also grabbed attention with his ball-playing ability, knack of proving key passes as well as his anchor-play in the final 3rd.
He is a player with a similar profile to Jesus and could fit right into the manager’s tactical set-up. The fans may want a more high-profile addition in the summer, but Zirkzee would be a fine recruit too. He has plenty of potential and could get better with experience and the chance to play with more creative players around him on the field.
