According to reports, Arsenal has been in contact with Bologna to express interest in acquiring Joshua Zirkzee, the centre striker for the Italian team, during the summer transfer window.
With 23 games in all competitions, the 22-year-old has been in excellent form for his Serie A club this season, tallying four assists and nine goals.
The Dutchman’s future has been the subject of much conjecture throughout the January transfer window, with Manchester United reportedly interested in signing him.
Zirkzee is anticipated to be active during this summer’s transfer window; however, Bologna made it apparent that a January trade would not be feasible.
Arsenal has reportedly spoken with Bologna to express their intention to sign the striker until the conclusion of the 2023–24 season, according to Corriere dello Sport.
The Dutchman is reportedly worth more than €40 million (£34 million) to the Gunners, while Manchester United may also be vying for his services.
It seems that head coach Mikel Arteta wanted an improvement over Eddie Nketiah and Gabriel Jesus; therefore, Arsenal had been planning to look for a new center-forward in January.
The North London team will now hold off on improving their striking unit until the conclusion of the season, and Zirkzee seems to be their top objective.
The €40 million (£35 million) release clause in Bologna director Marco Di Vaio’s contract is exclusive to his previous team, Bayern Munich.
Zirkzee played for Bayern between 2019 and 2022, but before moving to Bologna, he only scored four goals in 17 games for the Munich powerhouse.
After scoring a goal against AC Milan on Saturday, Bologna manager Thiago Motta again lauded the attacker, who is under contract with the Italian team until June 2026.
It’s difficult to select one player for praise when everyone on the squad performed so well, even Zirkzee. We worked so hard to win, so it’s unfortunate that I leave here feeling a little off,” said Motta.
With 44 games for his current team across all competitions, the striker presently has a record of 11 goals and 6 assists.
In spite of his outstanding performances at the club level, the striker has not yet made his senior debut for the Netherlands.
