Aston Villa have reportedly joined a list of Premier League teams that are interested in signing Joshua Zirkzee in the upcoming summer transfer window.
According to Bologna Sport News, Aston Villa could be set to steal a march on Premier League rivals Manchester United, Arsenal, and Newcastle in the race to secure the signature of highly-rated Bologna attacker Joshua Zirkzee, with super-agent Kia Joorabchian working on a deal to take him to Villa Park.
The Dutch striker started out with VV Hekelingen before progressing to ADO Den Haag and Feyenoord before moving to Bayern in 2017. He never really made the breakthrough at Allianz Arena, and after a couple of loan spells, he was sold to Bologna in August 2022.
Since then, the 22-year-old has played 53 times for the Serie A outfit and has scored 13 goals, with ten from 29 Serie A appearances this season, helping his side to the brink of Champions League qualification.
Aston Villa set to rival Arsenal, Manchester United and Newcastle in Joshua Zirkzee race
As per the above report, Villa have added their name to a list of suitors that already features the likes of Arsenal, Newcastle United and Manchester United.
The Lions are hoping to tap into sporting director Monchi’s knowledge of Serie A, with the Spaniard having spent a couple of years working with AS Roma between 2017 and 2019, and it’s believed Villa will be keen if they qualify for the Champions League.
They are currently fifth, level on points with Tottenham, but having played a game more.
The report says that contact with the player’s agent, Kia Joorabchian, has already been made, and any operation will require wages of around €4 million a year, while Bologna’s demands are around €60–70 million in terms of the transfer fee.
As things stand, Villa have Ollie Watkins and Jhon Duran as their out-and-out strikers, and if they do secure Champions League football for next season, it is expected they will want to add depth up front, with both of their current forwards linked with high-profile moves away from Villa Park.
Zirkzee has not just impressed with his goal tally this season. He has also registered six assists in all competitions this season, while his other attacking metrics are also eye-catching, with 2.7 shots per game and 1.3 key passes per game.
With Unai Emery putting a lot of stress on attacking fervour and link-up play, it is easy to see why Zirkzee would suit the Spaniard’s style of play.
