Tottenham and Aston Villa in the race to sign Joshua Zirkzee of Bologna
22-year-old Dutch striker Joshua Zirkzee of Serie A side Bologna is a transfer target for Tottenham Hotspur. Zirkzee, apart from his goal-scoring abilities, is great at creating chances as well.
The former Bayern Munich man has eight goals and four assists in 22 appearances across all competitions this season. Mainly a centre-forward, he can also play as a second striker. He has also skippered Bologna on one occasion. According to TuttoMercatoWeb, Tottenham show a lot of interest in signing the player but face a lot of competition from Aston Villa and Arsenal.
The Lilywhites have two strike options at the moment; Richarlison and Timo Werner. The latter is on loan until the end of the season and his future at the club depends on how he plays for Ange Postecoglou’s side in the remaining few months of the season. To have a contingency plan, it seems that Tottenham eye a move for Zirkzee.
Should the Lilywhites pursue a move for Zirkzee?
While he seems short on xG (FBRef), the player eclipses Richarlison in terms of passes into the box, has a greater number of xA and seems more of a player who bridges the gap between the attack and the midfield; a false 9. Throughout the majority of the season, Spurs have played captain Son Heung-min upfront and it would be very difficult for a false 9 to mirror the South Korean international’s goal-scoring abilities.
Having said that, we can use a player like Zirkzee to break down defences that are much more stubborn and constantly creates chances. He is 85pth when it comes to shot-creating actions. This particular stat underscores his capacity to initiate and contribute to attacking plays, showcasing a well-rounded skill set that aligns with Tottenham’s attacking philosophy under manager Ange Postecoglou.
The potential addition of Zirkzee could offer tactical flexibility, allowing Spurs to diversify their approach in breaking down opposition defences. This speculation also makes one wonder what ideas Ange has when it comes to the long-term future of the club, as a move for Zirkzee, although possible, is certainly intriguing given he doesn’t seem like a Postecoglou player from the looks of it.
Zirkzee has a €40m release clause in his contract and that would surely not be a huge task for Spurs to manage. What might prove to be a huge task for Tottenham is, managing the interests of Arsenal and Aston Villa alongside AC Milan in the race to sign Zirkzee.
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The race for Zirkzee’s signature intensifies the need for prompt and strategic negotiations to secure the player’s commitment to the Lilywhites. The coming weeks will likely shed light on the outcome of this transfer pursuit and its implications for Tottenham’s attacking dynamics in the latter stages of the season.
