With Gabriel Jesus struggling to be the consistent striker Arsenal might need to go all the way, the rest of the squad around him are helping out with any goalscoring that is required.
That’s why there is a feeling the Gunners could go out and sign a pure number nine in the near future, with Joshua Zirkzee often mentioned as a target for Mikel Arteta’s side.
This continues to be the case on Thursday, as Corriere dello Sport drag Arsenal back into the mix as an interested party for the young Dutchman, who is enjoying a good season at Bologna.
Manchester United’s purchase of Rasmus Højlund for an initial €70m or so last summer has set the bar for young strikers with potential in Serie A, and that’s why we have seen such high alleged asking prices for Zirkzee in past reports.
Corriere don’t go down that route with this article, focusing mostly on the fact Bayern Munich can either buy him back for €40m, or gain 35% of any profit Bologna make on the €8.5m they initially spent from a sale to another club.
This is where Arsenal are mentioned, as it’s explained the Gunners have a ‘strong interest’ in the player but would have to ‘negotiate openly’ with Bologna to get the 22-year-old, and the Italians would be free to decide on a possible amount’, suggesting there are no real limits on what they can ask for.
There is also the possibility that if Thiago Motta were to go to another club, he ‘could also ask to bring’ Zirkzee with him, and since Arteta isn’t going anywhere, that won’t help the Emirates side in the slightest.
The striker’s future could therefore entirely depend on how much Bologna ask for him and whether he himself wants to leave his current club, as the ‘desire of the player will have an important weight’ on what happens this summer.
