Joshua Zirkzee
Arsenal are reportedly interested in Bologna striker Joshua
Zirkzee. The 22-year-old was a player that the Gunners battled Manchester United and Everton for in 2017.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is reportedly eyeing a move for
£50million-rated Bologna striker Joshua Zirkzee.
The Gunners have faced criticism for their profligacy in
recent weeks as they go into the winter break on the back of the three straight
defeats - two in the Premier League and one in the FA Cup. Brentford talisman
Ivan Toney and France icon Karim Benzema have been mooted as possible January
additions to bolster their forward-line going into the business end of the
season.
Arsenal's need for another forward has led to new name being
touted with a move to the Emirates Stadium. The latest is Zirkzee, who is said
to be available for around £50million, after Serie A side Bologna slapped the
price-tag on his services.
Joshua Orobosa Zirkzee is a 6ft 4in striker from Schiedam,
west of Rotterdam, in Holland. The 22-year-old has featured throughout the age
groups in the Dutch national team from under-15 to the under-21s, where he
netted seven goals in 19 appearances.
Zirkzee was born to a Nigerian mother and Dutch father and
began his footballing journey as a five-year-old with VV Hekelingen before
moving to Spijkenisse. He moved into Spartaan '20 youth team before signing for
ADO Den Haag in 2013.
After three years with Den Haag, he made the move to the
highly-rated Feyenoord academy. But he spent one year in the Rotterdam youth
factory that has nurtured talents such as Giovanni van Bronckhorst, Robin Van
Persie and more recently, Gini Wijnaldum, Jurrien Timber and Tyrell Malacia.
His goalscoring exploits quickly earned him suitors from
around Europe - including Arsenal and Manchester United - before Bayern Munich
won the race for his signature.
Prior to his move, in the summer of 2017, Everton raced to
the front of the queue ahead of their Premier League rivals in a move
orchestrated by Ronald Koeman, who viewed him as a replacement for Romelu
Lukaku, but a failed trial period paved way for a move to Bayern.
Zirkzee spent three years with Bayern Munich's third division
side, scoring six goals in 32 league appearances for the club. During his
four-year spell in Bavaria, his stint consisted of loan spells with Parma and
Belgian side Anderlecht, where he struck up a partnership with Manchester City icon
Vincent Kompany.
His short spell in Italy with Parma was curtailed, after a
deadline day move in 2021, within three months after suffering a lateral
collateral ligament injury which limited him to four appearances - all as a
substitute.
He did manage to make his first-team debut at the Allianz
Arena, before going on to make 17 appearances, scoring four times and assisting
once.
As would be the case for any striker playing for Bayern
Munich, Zirkzee failed to usurp prolific talisman Robert Lewandowski. Ultimately,
his form suffered as he was handed opportunities in Munich and he departed on a
permanent deal to Bologna in 2022.
Remaining on the topic of the Polish striker, with his
stature, power and ability to put the ball in the back of the net, Zirkzee was
seen as a possible like-for-like for Lewandowski.
When the now-Barcelona forward injured his knee, Flick called
upon Zirkzee as a valid replacement - and he proved he could cut it in the
German top-flight scoring important goals in wins over Freiburg and Wolfsburg
in 2019.
The 22-year-old is an adaptable forward, whether he is
deployed as a target man or a link-up striker. Zirkzee has showed on numerous
occasions the versatility to his game - with good feet to match.
After initially struggling in his debut season i Rossoblu, he
has exploded into life under Thiago Motta this season. His powerful bursts
forward and marksman-like finishing have fired him into the conversation.
This season, he has seven goals in 19 appearances for Motta's
side, including a brace in the 2-1 win over Salernitana.
Voetbal International reporter Souleyman Ozturk claimed that
Zirksee was better than Manchester City star Erling Haaland 'at everything' in
2022.
He said: "Zirkzee is better than Erling Haaland at
everything. Now you may be dismayed because of this statement. But I will frame
it. (Zirkzee) has vision, technique, strength, charisma, flair, footballing
ability. He is therefore better than Haaland in almost everything.
"Imagine if Zirkzee had the energy and focus of Haaland.
Then he would be the best striker in the world."
Bologna director Marco Di Vaio described him as a
"unique player" after he was forced to weather questions over his
future at the end of December.
"For the other clubs the price is open" he said.
"In January our top players will not move. How many phone calls have we
received? None. And we wouldn’t answer anyway. Joshua doesn’t resemble anyone —
he’s a unique player."
Bayern academy manager Jochen Sauer told Kicker in 2019:
"Joshua is a great striker, that's why we brought him from Feyenoord to
Munich. He is a striker type that is no longer so common today: tall, athletic,
but still technically strong."
Source: Arsenal - Football.London
