Juventus are working behind the scenes to try and land Bologna forward Joshua Zirkzee this summer but the Serie A giants face a lot of competition for the 22-year-old.
According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Juventus’ sporting director Cristiano Giuntoli wants to land the Bologna star and is working cautiously to materialise it ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.
Next season is a big one for the Turin outfit as they will start the season with a new coach as Massimiliano Allegri is expected to leave the Italian club at the end of the current campaign. Zirkzee is a player Juve want to help launch the new era at the Serie A giants but Juve face tough competition in the race for Zirkzee.
Transfer journalist Matteo Moretto told CaughtOffside’s The Daily Briefing last week that AC Milan have made the striker their top target ahead of the summer transfer window and are in frequent contact with the player’s team.
Arsenal are also in the market for a new striker ahead of the 2024/25 season and the Bologna star is on their list. Moretto has stated that the Gunners have a very strong relationship with Kia Joorabchian, the agent of Zirkzee, which could stand to them.
The North London club have performed excellently this season without a recognised number nine but there has been occasions throughout the campaign where it looked like they could do with one.
Why do Arsenal and other top clubs want Joshua Zirkzee?
The interest in Zirkzee stems from the great season he is having in Italy with Bologna as the striker has produced 12 goals and seven assists across 35 matches for I Rossoblu. At 22, the forward is still very young and there is a lot more room for development which will excite interested clubs.
The Dutch star has a contract with Bologna until 2026 but there is said to be a €40m release clause in the player’s contract.
The race for Zirkzee looks like it could be an exciting one this summer and it will be a story to keep an eye on.