Arsenal are reportedly keen on acquiring Bologna forward Joshua Zirkzee’s services in January to help boost their attacking numbers. However, the Gunners will have to pay roughly £15million more than his £34.3m release clause with suggestions that £50m is a more realistic asking price for the Serie A side.
This will be a difficult fee for Arsenal to stomach considering their current FFP situation following a summer of heavy spending. Furthermore, Bologna have no interest in selling the 22-year-old, who has scored eight goals and laid on four assists in 22 appearances this season.
Bologna director Marco Di Vaio has revealed that Zirkzee’s release clause is only valid for Bayern Munich, who sold the youngster to them in 2022, so all other potential suitors will have to negotiate with the club over a suitable price for the Netherlands Under-21 international.
“It’s only valid for Bayern Munich,” Di Vaio told La Gazzetta dello Sport. He went on to add that Bologna haven’t received any calls about Zirkzee.
“We haven’t received any call for Zirkzee. And in any case, we wouldn’t answer. Joshua doesn’t look like anyone: a unique piece,” Di Vaio added.
Zirkzee isn’t, at least on paper, the out-and-out goalscorer Arsenal so desperately need so it is unlikely they will pay the sort of money Bologna want for him. His best season in terms of goals came in 2021-2022 when he scored 18 times in 47 games while out on loan at Anderlecht.
Meanwhile, he only returned 2 goals in 21 games for Bologna last season. During the current campaign, his numbers in front of goal have been lower than Nketiah’s. His non-penalty goals per 90 for the last year are 0.29, according to FBRef.
By comparison, Eddie Nketiah is at 0.41 in the same metric. Creatively he has been superior to the Englishman but that isn’t what the Gunners need right now down the middle.
