Arsenal keen on signing £50 million rated star who has been compared to Dennis Bergkamp - Reports

Arsenal are said to be 'crazy' about signing Bologna forward Joshua Zirkzee in the summer, according to reports from Italian media outlet Calciomercato.

The Dutchman joined Bologna from German giants Bayern Munich for €8.5 million in the summer of 2022. He struggled for game time and form in his first season in the Serie A but has hit a purple patch in the first half of the 2023-24 season.

Heading the line for a Bologna side that has out-performed all expectations and sitting fifth in Serie A, Zirkzee has been one of the best strikers in Italian football this season. He has scored nine goals and added six assists in 26 games for the Italian outfit across all competitions.

His style of play and goalscoring attributes have been likened to former Netherlands and Arsenal superstar Dennis Bergkamp by former Italian forward Ciccio Graziani, in an interview with Corriere di Bologna.

A whole host of Premier League clubs reportedly showed an interest in the 22-year-old in the January transfer window, including Arsenal, Manchester United, Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur.

Arsenal have a pressing need to improve their depth at the striker position. Eddie Nketiah has been blowing hot and cold and has also been linked with a move away from the club. Gabriel Jesus is highly injury-prone and has not proven to be his old dependable self when on the pitch this season.

Bologna will seemingly only accept a bid north of £40 million for Zirkzee, with a £50 million bid likely to be accepted immediately. The Gunners will have a bidding war on their hands in the summer if they are to secure his services.

Mikel Arteta calls up 20-year-old 'all action' midfielder to Arsenal's senior squad ahead of game vs Burnley

Another youngster who has been making waves among the Gunners management, albeit from within their own academy, is 20-year-old Portuguese midfielder Mauro Bandeira.

As per TBR, manager Mikel Arteta has called the midfielder up to the senior side ahead of their trip to Burnley on Saturday (February 17). A picture of Bandeira vying for the ball with club captain Martin Odegaard has been doing the rounds of social media, getting fans excited about him potentially making his senior debut at Turf Moor.

Bandeira signed his first professional contract for Arsenal in 2022. He has 66 appearances for the Gunners at the youth level. He went out on loan to Colchester United for the first half of the season, making 11 appearances for the League Two outfit.

The youngster suffered a knee injury while on loan and wasn't involved very often after returning to fitness.

Described by Arsenal expert Jeorge Bird as an 'all action' midfielder, Bandeira is expected to have a bright future at the club, with a senior debut potentially on the cards before the end of the season.