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The Bologna striker has scored 10 goals in Serie A this season and has caught the eye of Arsenal as they look to sign a new striker.
Arsenal are ramping up their interest in Bologna striker Joshua Zirkzee ahead of the summer transfer window. The 22-year-old has scored 10 goals in Serie A so far this season, setting up another six, and could be set for a move in the coming months.
Transfer expert Dean Jones has told GIVEMESPORT that Arsenal are "very interested" in signing Zirkzee this summer, and went to watch the forward in action over the weekend. But Zirkzee is also attracting interest from other clubs in Italy, which could tempt him.
Zirkzee joined Bologna from Bayern Munich in 2022 and has impressed in Italy, so much so that he could now be on the move again. With a possible £45m deal on the table, it's an option Arsenal are taking "very seriously" given the hefty price tags on the heads of Viktor Gyokeres, Ollie Watkins and Ivan Toney this summer.
Jones reports that Arsenal were in town to watch Zirkzee in action for Bologna over the weekend. They drew 0-0 with Monza on Sunday (April 14) and the statistics show that Zirkzee had a minimal impact on the game.
The number nine played the full 90 minutes for Bologna - who are managed by Thiago Motta - and scored a 6.84 rating with WhoScored for his performance. He only had two shots all game, though both of them were on target.
He achieved a pass completion percentage of 74%, and only managed one dribble and two aerial duel wins. Despite a seemingly sub-par afternoon for Zirkzee, his form over the whole season shows just why clubs like Arsenal are watching him so closely.
Jones notes the heavy price tag, upwards of £80m, on the heads of Gyokeres, Watkins and Toney. The latter two would be particularly pricey giving they'd be English players moving from one Premier League club to another.
With that said, Zirkzee represents good value for money for Arsenal. Things might not be too straightforward though, as the striker has recently been linked with Watkins' Aston Villa, managed by former Arsenal boss Unai Emery.
Dean Jones told GIVEMESPORT:
"Arsenal continue to monitor Zirkzee and watched him at the weekend and this is a moment to start taking this interest very seriously. I believe it will still be tricky to get him to England; there is interest in him from Italian clubs that is going to prove tempting for him, but Arsenal are obviously very interested and at £45million we’re talking about a player that is half the price of someone like Gyokeres.
"The likes of Isak from Newcastle or Watkins from Villa are going to demand a big fee too if they were to go that route, so maybe we are getting an idea of where Arsenal are truly likely to spend in terms of fees and level of player in terms of how closely they seem to be looking at Zirkzee."
Match statistics from WhoScored. Correct as of 16-04-24.
Arsenal favourite Ray Parlour "trusts" Mikel Arteta and Edu to sign a new full-back in the summer transfer window.
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