According to Corriere dello Sport (via SportWitness), Arsenal are fighting with AC Milan and Juventus to sign Bologna striker Joshua Zirkzee.
The Gunners are on the search for a new centre-forward and they have been linked with Zirkzee in the last few months. Corriere dello Sport once again claim that Arsenal are interested in signing the Dutchman and they are fighting for his signature with Milan and Juventus.
The outlet add that Bologna are increasingly worried that they will lost their main striker during the upcoming transfer window. Arsenal are prepared to offer £100,000-a-week in wages which could give them the upper hand over the Serie A giants in the race for his services.
Good potential
Zirkzee has not had an exemplary scoring season, but he has made good goal contributions. He has registered 11 goals and 6 assists in all competitions for Bologna. They have mostly come in winning situations. Aside from his goal involvements, Zirkzee has also impressed with his link-up and hold-up play.
These are attributes that would suit the current playing style under manager Mikel Arteta. The fans may want a readymade striker who can score plenty of goals next season, but we won’t be surprised if the Arsenal board are looking into someone with potential to develop into an elite striker in the long term.
Zirkzee won’t be available on the cheap for the Gunners this term, considering Bologna are currently well placed to qualify for the Champions League by finishing either 4th of 5th in Serie A. This could increase their negotiation power on their prized asset and it has been claimed that he could cost £50 million.
Arsenal could easily secure a more experienced striker for the same price, but with the club’s current transfer policy, they could look into someone of Zirkzee’s calibre. RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko is another striker that comes into our mind. He is another centre-forward with potential and has plenty to prove.
