Over the past week, there have been reports surrounding Fulham’s potential swoop for Bayern Munich striker Joshua Zirkzee, stating they have already made contacts with the German giants as manager Marco Silva looks to bolster his newly-promoted team with more quality.
Having enjoyed a productive loan spell at Belgian giants Anderlecht, the 21-year-old returned to the German champions this summer, with much rumours going around stating that he’d be free to leave the Allianz Arena, with just a year remaining on his contract.
His stunning performances last season have seen him attract plenty of interest from Premier League clubs, and the Cottagers seem to be leading the race for his signature this summer, according to widespread reports.
What’s been reported about Joshua Zirkzee?
Evening Standard in a recent report reported the west London outfit being in talks to bring Zirkzee to the Premier League. The report goes on to state that fellow Premier League outfits in Southampton and Bournemouth are also interested in the player’s services, who is apparently targeting a move to the English top flight after initially being in talks over a move to Rennes.
Also, German journalist Christian Falk, working for SportBILD took to Twitter to reveal an update on Zirkzee’s future confirming that the above Premier League outfits are in talks with Bayern regarding a move for the Netherlands U21 international.
He wrote: “TRUE✅ The Management of Joshua Zirkzee @FCBayern negotiate with @FulhamFC, also FC Southampton & FC Bournemouth are interested.”
How has Zirkzee’s career gone so far?
The 21-year-old joined Bayern’s under-17 youth team in 2017 featuring in 98 games for both the senior side and the youth team, and despite his current plight at the club, he has highly regarded in Germany throughout his career there so far.
Having netted 50 goals and delivered 26 assists along the way, he has shown more than just glimpses of tremendous abilities in front of goal and also when providing for around him. With an aggregate of 155 senior and youth appearances under his belt in his club career, he has a total of 69 goals and 40 assists to his name, a record that even seasoned strikers across Europe would certainly be proud of.
What will the Dutch wonderkid bring to Craven Cottage?
Extraordinary exuberant youthful talent, goals + assists and also the capabilities of quickly becoming a household name in West London.
Fulham and Marco Silva are keen to add competition and a probable back-up to Aleksandar Mitrovic, and his attributes would be a fantastic addition to the rooster.
A youthful star who the club could simply develop and mould to become a tremendous complete forward in future, and learning from the likes of Mitrovic will only aid his development and maturity even further. Also, the Cottagers could sign the 21-year-old, help him grow his reputation as well as his footballing abilities, and then sell for profit when a big club comes calling.
Having spent last season on loan in Belgium with Anderlecht, the Dutchman ended up making 47 appearances for the club, in which he found the net an impressive 18 times providing 13 assists across all competitions.
The Dutch prodigy hailed for his remarkable development by former Bayern Munich manager Hansi Flick could add a huge physical threat in the box for Fulham due to his tall frame, standing a 6 foot 3.
In his 32 league games for Anderlecht, Zirkzee ended the campaign with more shots on target (30) than any other player at the club.
He also won 27 tackles, which suggests that he isn’t afraid to put in the hard work to win the ball back for his team. Zirkzee is a player blessed with brilliant pace, and quickness off the ground meaning he is able to put the hard yards in when needed, and that’s what Marco Silva will desperately be looking for as he aims to keep Fulham in the Premier League come May.
Especially coming up against the big teams, who are all sound in possession, the Bayern youngster’s work rate could be vital for Fulham when they come up against the Premier League’s leading lights, unnerving his opponents particularly deep in their own half when building from the back.
More importantly, as his stats across last season shows, he is not only adept in front of goal but perfectly capable of providing them too, registering an impressive 9 assists in the Belgian Pro League, creating seven big chances and averaging 0.9 key passes per game. Zirkzee possesses the exciting potential to become the complete forward, not only being clinical in his finishing but also delivering selflessly for his teammates every week.
If the west London club can continue their talks over a potential transfer for the player and end up securing his signature, this will surely take them a step closer to having a squad which can retain their place in the division.
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