Man United "almost there" with attacker transfer after two important developments
07/08/2024 01:20 AM
Fabrizio Romano says Manchester United are "almost there" with the transfer of Bologna forward Joshua Zirkzee after informing his club of an agreement on personal terms, while everything is also done with the player's agent.
The talented young Dutchman shone in Serie A last season and it's no surprise to see him attract interest from top clubs this summer, having also been one of AC Milan's top targets until Man Utd overtook them in the race.
The Red Devils are now edging closer, with Romano explaining in the post below on X that they now need to either trigger Zirkzee's €40million release clause, or negotiate another deal with Bologna…
??? Manchester United and Joshua Zirkzee, almost there.
Man Utd have now informed Bologna about agreement reached with Zirkzee over personal terms.
All done also with JZ's agent.
Man Utd, talking to Bologna about new deal structure… or they can trigger €40m release clause. pic.twitter.com/8TVVIdV6Zd
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) July 7, 2024
Zirkzee could be a bargain for just €40m, but United might also do well to work out a way around paying that fee all in one go, so it will be interesting to see how negotiations develop.
Zirkzee transfer: What would this mean for Man Utd's Rasmus Hojlund?
There will have been much internal debate at United about how to deal with the problems the club were facing up front this summer, and it's interesting to see that they now seem to be going down this route with Zirkzee as their priority.
The 23-year-old is another exciting young talent to join Rasmus Hojlund up front at Old Trafford, and it perhaps signals that Erik ten Hag is keen to replace last summer's big signing, rather than bring in someone to play alongside him.
An experienced striker might have been a smart idea for the short-term, taking the pressure off Hojlund to start games every week while he's still developing, but Zirkzee would presumably be a long-term direct rival for Hojlund's place in the first XI.
The young Denmark international had an inconsistent first season at MUFC and perhaps it's wise to seek someone who could be an upgrade, but then some fans will also question the big investment made to sign him from Atalanta without showing a bit more patience to him.
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