Joshua Zirkzee “ready to accept” Manchester United move
Manchester United has received a significant boost in their pursuit of Joshua Zirkzee, as the Dutch striker is reportedly prepared to move to Old Trafford.
The Red Devils’ interest in Zirkzee has been a complex story. Initially, it was believed that the player was solely focused on joining AC Milan. However, the seven-time European champions were unwilling to meet the striker’s agent’s substantial commission fees.
Now, with AC Milan out of the picture, Manchester United is in a stronger position to secure the services of the talented forward. This development is encouraging for the Red Devils as they look to bolster their attacking options.
This piqued the Red Devils’ interest, and they asked Zirkzee to wait until July to make a decision on his future, as his release clause would then be active. It was reported last week that a direct call between Erik ten Hag and Zirkzee helped convince the player of his potential role at Old Trafford. Zirkzee is excited at the prospect of working with soon-to-be-announced United coach Ruud van Nistelrooy.
Additionally, it was reported last night that the forward has been offered a €6 million per year deal to relocate to Manchester. This lucrative offer further solidifies Manchester United’s strong position to secure the talented forward.
Italian paper Corriere de Bologna reports that Bologna is “aware of being about to lose Zirkzee, who seems ready to accept Manchester United, who will activate the €40 million clause.” The sale of the player now looks definite, as the president of the Serie A club confirmed recently that it is 99% sure that the striker will leave the club due to the presence of his clause this summer.
Furthermore, Bologna wants a quick sale so that they can move quickly to secure their own targets. The presence of a release clause means no higher fee can be negotiated, so the selling club stands nothing to gain from a transfer dragging out.
The Italian paper has also provided an update on another potential United target, Riccardo Calafiori. The centre-back and his club have a “desire to move forward together, but this could change in the face of top-notch offers at an economic and career level, proposals that even the Rossoblù management would not ask him to refuse.”
According to the paper, “Chelsea and Arsenal are ready to battle. The Gunners seem particularly convinced also thanks to the flattering opinion expressed by the [former] Blues midfielder Jorginho.”
