Football: Arsenal’s search for a striker hindered by Bayern clause and Manchester United talks, reveals Express.co.uk
The Gunners have been linked with marquee names, including the likes of Ivan Toney from Brentford or Napoli’s Victor Osimhen. However, with Brentford set to demand around £100million for their star man and Osimhen expected to go for a similar fee with Chelsea very much interested as well, Arsenal are on the hunt for cheaper options.
One man whose name has been mooted is 22-year-old Bologna striker Joshua Zirkzee, formerly of Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich. He has age on his side and his approximate transfer fee has put Arsenal and co on hot alert. Zirkzee has emerged as a very exciting talent in recent times, having netted seven goals in 15 Serie A appearances so far this season for Bologna. And inevitably his form has led to plenty of interest, including from Arsenal’s old foes Manchester United – which obviously complicates things for the Gunners’ sporting director Edu.
Zirkzee has a release clause of just £34m which appears on paper very attractive for Arsenal, but there appears to be a hitch that could put the Premier League giants off – and that comes in the form of Bayern. Bologna director Marco Di Vaio has previously revealed the cheap release clause is “only valid for Bayern”. Furthermore, Arsenal face another quandary regarding Zirkzee in the form of Man Utd.
Ben Jacobs reported for CaughtOffside that United are the ‘only Premier League club to date to begin any formative talks’. So Arsenal may have to act quick if they do decide Zirkzee is the striker for them, or they could see him end up elsewhere in the Premier League. Bologna will want a quick resolution regarding Zirkzee’s future, and even if Arsenal opt for the youngster, they still face a few obstacles before landing their man.
