Arsenal offer breakout star €30m contract

Robin Bairner

• Updated: 20 Apr 2024 20:02 BST
• 13 min read

Arsenal are set to watch Bologna striker Joshua Zirkzee when he takes to the field on Monday in Serie A action against Roma and have even opened talks over a bumper contract with the Dutchman.

The encounter is a huge one for this club as they battle to reach the Champions League next season, yet it also promises to be a monumental match for the Dutchman, particularly with Bologna captain Lewis Ferguson ruled out injured.

Zirkzee will be expected to take responsibility in this encounter and fire his side towards another victory.

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Nicolo Schira reports that Arsenal will be watching with a view to potentially signing the 22-year-old, who has scored 10 Serie A goals this term, in the summer.

He claims that the Gunners have already opened contract talks with the player over a deal that will run five years and pay the forward €6 million a season (£5.2m). Over the course of his potential stay at the Emirates, this would be worth €30m before bonuses.

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Zirkzee v Gyokeres

FootballTransfers understands that Sporting CP forward Viktor Gyokeres is Arsenal’s priority in the No.9 role, where manager Mikel Arteta is primarily targeting a proven goal scorer.

Zirkzee is not yet prolific by any means. Indeed, he has scored only 32 top-flight goals since making his breakthrough at Bayern Munich as a promising youngster in 2019.

His profile is marginally different to that of the Sweden international. Although he has the same qualities around the box, he is also a little more versatile in that he can drop deep and play as a No.10 at times, offering more link play in the final third.

This does not necessarily mean that he will be favoured by Arteta, who wants someone who will score.

Data analytics experts SciSports, meanwhile, predict that Zirkzee will become a better player than Gyokeres, who is three years his senior, and indeed suggest he is already a superior option.

Whether he is what Arteta wants at Arsenal, though, is another question entirely.