With the objective to recruit Joshua Zirkzee ahead of AC Milan, Manchester United has reached an agreement about a release clause of 34 million pounds. Wow, I am completely dumbfounded to learn that this long-awaited agreement has finally been finalized this morning. 😳🙀
Ahead of the 2017 Premier League season, United focused on securing a new striker and at least one new center-back, opting to keep Erik ten Hag as their manager.
One of United’s prime targets was Zirkzee, who had netted 11 goals in Serie A the previous season. The Premier League club faced competition from AC Milan to sign the 23-year-old forward.
Zirkzee initially reached an agreement with AC Milan, but the transfer fell through when Milan declined to pay an additional €15 million (£12.6 million) commission to the player’s agent, Kia Joorabchian.
This delay allowed United to step in, and Zirkzee soon reached a personal agreement with the club after discussions with Erik ten Hag.
United then considered whether to pay Zirkzee’s €40m (£33.7m) release clause outright or negotiate a different deal with Bologna, which might involve a smaller upfront fee with add-ons due to financial constraints.
According to Sky Sports Italy, United decided to trigger Zirkzee’s release clause and formally notified Bologna of their decision.
Additionally, United agreed to pay the €15m (£12.6m) commission that had previously stalled the deal with AC Milan.
Bayern Munich stands to benefit significantly from Zirkzee’s move to United, as they had secured a 45 percent sell-on clause when they sold the Dutch striker to Bologna for £7m (€8.5m) in August 2022.
Zirkzee is currently with the Netherlands national team, preparing for their Euro 2024 semi-final against England on Wednesday evening.
The striker, who joined the Dutch squad as a late addition in June, made his senior debut in a 2-1 win against Turkey in the Euro 2024 quarter-final on Saturday night.
When asked about his future after the game, Zirkzee expressed uncertainty about remaining in Italy for another year.
Asked if he will still be playing in Italy next season, Zirkzee told Sportitalia, “I don’t know, let’s see.”
When questioned if there was a 50 percent chance he would stay, Zirkzee replied, “Let’s see.”
