Arsenal Leading Race to Sign Bologna Striker Joshua Zirkzee

As per latest reports, Arsenal have become the main contender to sign Bologna striker Joshua Zirkzee in the summer. The Gunners are preparing to strengthen their attacking department in the upcoming transfer window and are highly inclined towards signing the Dutch forward.

Joshua Zirkzee graduated from the Bayern Munich academy before being promoted to the first-team. He made his debut for the Bundesliga giants in December 2019 in the Champions League. However, he failed to consolidate his position in the team and was loaned out on couple of occasions before moving to Bologna.

The 22-year-old has been able to shine with his full potential and displayed a wide array of skills for a player of his age. He has contributed in 11 goals and 6 assists in 29 appearances so far this season for the Italian side across all competitions (stats via Transfermarkt).

According to Calciomercato (via Football London), Arsenal are leading the race to secure the services of Bologna forward Joshua Zirkzee this summer. The Gunners are exploring multiple options to reinforce thier attacking lineup and the Dutchman has emerged as one of their key targets.

Moreover, Italian news oulet TuttoMercatoWeb (via Football London) has backed the claim of the North Londoners being the ‘first and foremost’ pursuer for the young striker. Its also reported that the Gunners have excellent rapport with the player’s representatives.

Recently, it was reported that Mikel Arteta’s side is taking serious steps to sign Brentford striker Ivan Toney in the summer window. Although the English forward is their preferred choice, the Gunners are keeping their horizon open for more potential strikers and the Zirkzee could be a perfect alternative to Toney.

Ivan Toney, Victor Osimhen, Joshua Zirkzee and Viktor Gyokeres among the strikers Arsenal have looked at. (@SamiMokbel81_DM) pic.twitter.com/U1Tj2RoiJM

— Highbury Headlines (@ArsenalNews93) February 27, 2024

The splendid performances of Joshua Zirkzee in the Serie A have attracted attention and Arsenal aren’t the only team in the hunt to secure his services. Napoli and AC Milan are also monitoring the Dutch striker very closely, as reported by Calciomercato. The forward has a €40million (£34m) release clause, but it only applies to his former club, Bayern Munich, who have a first-refusal option.

Will Joshua Zirkzee Be A Good Fit For Arsenal?

The Gunners have been watching the 22-year-old very closely for quite some time. He’s strong, powerful, technically superb and tactically intelligent. On several occasions, he has been seen working the defender, taking the opponent on, and getting the better of them, which clearly shows his skills, pace and tactics.

It would be right to say that Arteta’s number-nine goal-drought issue could be solved by the Dutchman. The recurring injury issues of Gabriel Jesus and the under-performance of Kai Havertz has made it even more evident that the North Londoners need to sign a new striker.

Although the North London side are the top contenders to secure the young forward’s signature, signing the Dutchman has become a bit more complex with Napoli and AC Milan joining the race. So, it would be interesting to see when and how Arsenal bolster their number-nine position.

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