Bologna have officially presented their new striker, Thijs Dallinga, in a press conference following his €15 million transfer from Toulouse. The Dutch forward arrives as a replacement for Joshua Zirkzee, who recently moved to Manchester United.
Dallinga expressed his excitement about joining Bologna and playing in Serie A, stating, “The Serie A is a league with great history. It’s a great opportunity to play in this tournament, in Bologna, and in the Champions League.” He also shared insights into his discussions with manager Vincenzo Italiano, saying, “What did the coach ask of me? Goals. To be active in possession and to press when others start. How is Italiano? A real hammer, but that’s important because with good pressure you get great results, and this is also needed for the Champions League.”
The striker, who has chosen to wear the number 24 shirt, saying, “I try to be at my best in the area, dangerous but maintaining a connection. Luis Suarez and Zlatan Ibrahimovic were my great idols, Luis played for my first training club, Groningen, and was a reference point every day, every training session.”
Bologna CEO Claudio Fenucci also spoke about the club’s transfer strategy. Regarding the potential signing of Mats Hummels, Fenucci stated, “We’re waiting for his response. We’ve explained the project to him, and he’ll tell us if he wants to embrace it. I hope he does so with conviction. If it’s not him, it will be another valuable center-back, and it’s important that they arrive with the right spirit.”
Fenucci addressed the imminent departure of Riccardo Calafiori to Arsenal, saying, “Calafiori’s departure, now imminent to Arsenal, obliges us to look for a center-back.” He also touched on the club’s ambitions, mentioning, “That small dream, given that Italiano has reached finals and lost them, of bringing a trophy to Bologna would be wonderful.”
The CEO also discussed the club’s stadium plans and their preparation for Champions League football, indicating Bologna’s growing ambitions in Italian and European football.
Citations:
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thijs_Dallinga
[2] https://www.acmilan.com/en/news/articles/club/2024-01-27/ac-milan-lights-up-san-siro-against-any-form-of-racism-hate-and-prejudice
[3] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8-IW7W7CqY
[4] https://onefootball.com/en/news/thijs-dallinga-scores-again-as-toulouse-pull-off-shock-victory-over-liverpool-in-the-europa-league-38535545
[5] https://breakingthelines.com/player-analysis/thijs-dallinga-a-box-office-forward/
[6] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b61zWNuC1Yw
