Arsenal would have ‘no problem’ in paying high commission fees to sign Bologna striker Joshua Zirkzee this summer, according to Corriere dello Sport.
The Gunners want a new centre-forward, and the Italian media has constantly linked them with Zirkzee in recent weeks.
Arsenal are reportedly the front-runners to sign the 22-year-old and his agent Kia Joorabchian is keen on bringing him to the club.
Corriere dello Sport (page 17) today claim the overall package for the transfer could be £47 million.
The striker’s contract includes a release clause worth £34m, while his representative will demand between £9m and £13m as commission for the deal.
AC Milan have been pressing to sign the striker, but the Rossoneri are not in a position to pay the hefty fees to Joorabchian to secure an agreement.
Arsenal would have ‘no problem’ paying Joorabchian and are in the driver’s seat to sign the former Bayern Munich ace.
Zirkzee would not be an upgrade on Havertz
The 22-year-old had a decent second campaign with Bologna, registering 12 goals and seven assists from 37 appearances across all competitions.
His statistics were not exemplary and he would not be an upgrade on Kai Havertz, who had ended the season well for the Gunners.
The German started the season in a central midfield role but played as a number nine towards the end of the campaign.
Havertz registered eight goals and seven assists from his 18 appearances as a centre forward.
Zirkzee would not be a marquee signing and the Gunners should look at alternative options in the transfer market.
RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko would be a good solution if they want to sign an emerging star.
The Slovenian netted 18 goals in his debut season with the Bundesliga outfit. Sesko averaged a goal in every 114 minutes for Leipzig.
By contrast, Zirkzee averaged 245 minutes per goal during his recent season at Bologna.
The former would be a much better signing. He will cost a higher fee of around £55m but should provide value for money given his immense potential.
Stats from Transfermarkt.com.
