Man United are considering a move for Bologna star Joshua Zirkzee as Erik ten Hag looks to add a striker to his squad before the 2024/25 campaign gets underway.
The Athletic’s David Ornstein reports that Manchester club are exploring a deal to sign the Dutch striker and are weighing up whether to make an official move for the 23-year-old as Ten Hag would like a new frontman at Old Trafford for the new season.
Club-to-club talks have yet to take place but the Premier League club are currently speaking to Zirkzee’s representatives and their interest is advanced.
The Bologna star is contracted to the Serie A club until 2026 but that deal contains a €40m (£34m) release clause, which makes the transfer easy to get over the line. However, Man United still need to speak to the Italian outfit before completing any deal.
Zirkzee was a key figure in Bologna’s successful season as he produced 12 goals and assisted a further seven across 37 matches as Thiago Motta’s team secured qualification for next season’s Champions League.
This has attracted attention from across Europe and Man United are not the only club considering a move.
Can Man United jump ahead of Arsenal in race for Bologna’s Joshua Zirkzee?
Arsenal are another team in the Premier League on the lookout for a striker and with RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko deciding to stay in Germany, Zirkzee is one of the alternatives they are considering bringing to the Emirates.
According to Sky Sports, the Gunners are still monitoring the 23-year-old’s situation at Bologna and United’s advancements may prompt them into action and make an official approach for the player.
The report states that AC Milan are also pushing to sign the Netherlands international after flying to London for talks, who are also a big threat to the Premier League clubs given that the player is already in Italy and is believed to be happy there.
Arsenal should sign him after all but he must transform his stylish football to many goal contributions. I really like him but I’m skeptical about his goal scoring ability. I think he can easily free up space for someone like Martinelli and Saka to score many goals