Arsenal are keeping a close eye on Bologna’s Joshua Zirkzee as they look to bolster Mikel Arteta’s forward line, according to reports.
The Gunners have slipped to fourth in the Premier League table after back-to-back defeats to West Ham United and Fulham, and also crashed out of the FA Cup at the third round stage after losing to Liverpool at home.
Arsenal have won just one of their last seven games in all competitions – a 2-0 win over Brighton & Hove Albion in mid-December – and the focus of their recent struggles has been an inability to score goals.
Arteta’s side bagged 88 goals last season as they pushed Manchester City all the way in the title race, but they have just 37 to their name after 20 games this time around – a significant drop-off from a side that boasts a wealth of creative talent.
The Telegraph report that reinforcements are being sought by Arteta and the club’s hierarchy, with Gabriel Jesus struggling with form and injury problems and Eddie Nketiah’s long-term future at the club uncertain.
Zirkzee is understood to be a player Arsenal are keeping tabs on, but any move for the towering 6’4 striker could set the club back as much as £50m – he joined Bologna for just £7m from Bayern Munich after a successful loan spell at Anderlecht.
The 22-year-old does have a release clause in his contract but Bologna’s sporting director Marco Di Vaio has confirmed that it only applies to former club Bayern, who picked up the Dutchman from Feyenoord in 2017.
Zirkzee has scored eight goals in 22 appearances across all competitions this season, also contributing four assists for his teammates, and would represent a completely different option for Arsenal with his height and style of play. It may, however, be unrealistic to complete a transfer mid-season, which has also affected the Gunners’ interest in Brentford’s Ivan Toney.
Arsenal‘s top scorer is currently Bukayo Saka with nine in all competitions – six of which have come in the Premier League – while Jesus has seven goals to his name and Nketiah six. There has also been a significant drop in the output of Gabriel Martinelli and Martin Odegaard, both of whom scored 15 top-flight goals during 2022/23. They have combined for just five in the Premier League to this point.
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