Arsenal now leading all English clubs in race for "bargain" £38.5m striker, he's "prolific"

There could be a new man leading the line for the Gunners.

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While their quest for the Premier League title continues, Arsenal are already looking to the summer and could be in line to get their hands on an elite talent at an absolute steal.

Arsenal's search for a striker

Despite their recent success on the pitch, it has been a long-running trope that Arsenal cannot find consistency up front. Since the departures of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette, it has been a rotating cast of strikers who have led the line for the Gunners, often with very little to show for it.

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This season has seen Mikel Arteta experiment with his number nine, giving the responsibility to a range of players in the hope that one will excel. Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah have taken turns up top, whilst more abstract approaches have seen Kai Havertz and Leandro Trossard have a go. This near constant rotation of strikers means that Arsenal are once again relying on their wingers and midfielders to provide goals.

Arsenal Top Scorers 2023/24

Goals

Bukayo Saka

Leandro Trossard

Martin Ødegaard

Gabriel Martinelli

Kai Havertz

Eddie Nketiah

Bukayo-Saka

Arsenal gem who lost possession 16x was better than Saka vs Burnley

This summer could see this quest for a number nine come to an end with Arsenal leading the race to sign one of Europe's hottest prospects.

Gunners leading Zirkzee chase

After an up and down start to his professional career, Joshua Zirkzee finally looks set to meet the expectations set when he joined Bayern Munich as a teenager back in 2017. Struggling for minutes at the German giants, the Dutchman still managed to grab headlines from the bench, leading to scout and analyst, Jacek Kulig, hailing the striker as prolific back in June 2020.

Now 22, the Dutchman is plying his trade at Serie A outfit, Bolognaand has exploded into life in Italy, scoring ten goals in all competitions this season, including a winner at Lazio on Sunday. This goalscoring prowess has put Zirkzee on the radar of some of Europe's top clubs and, according to Sport Witness, reports out of Italy suggest that it is Arsenal who are leading the race to secure his services. The Italian outlet reported that the striker is valued at £38.5million, and is likley to be on the move this summer.

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His exploits in northern Italy have seen Zirkzee earn admirers from across the game. Owing to Bolgona's modest asking price, there is no wonder top clubs are circling for the youngster's signature, with journalist Zack Lowy suggesting that whichever team ends up with the striker will be getting "one hell of a bargain".

One potential stumbling block for Arsenal is that Zirkzee's former club, Bayern, have a buyback clause for the striker, meaning they can pick up their former player for less than what other teams would have to pay. Despite this, the Bavarian side may be more inclined to let Zirkzee move elsewhere, with the club entitled to 50% of any future fees for the Dutchman.

In Zirkzee, Arsenal are buying a high-ceiling striker that can make an instant impact. With elite strikers now costing almost double the Dutchman's fee, the Gunners would be foolish to decline the services of the 22-year-old.