Manchester United have secured the services of Bologna striker Joshua Zirkzee, surpassing his £34 million release clause in the process.
The Dutch star of Euro 2024 marks the inaugural signing of United’s INEO era, signing a five-year contract with the option for an additional 12 months.
The 23-year-old former Bayern Munich player, Joshua Zirkzee, who was previously linked with Arsenal and AC Milan earlier in the summer, agreed to personal terms with Manchester United days ago before finalizing a lucrative deal.
Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano suggests that United offered slightly more than his release clause of 40 million euros, equivalent to over £34 million.
Under Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s new United regime, there’s growing speculation that they will now pursue the completion of Matthijs de Ligt’s transfer from Bayern.
Joshua Zirkzee’s international teammate, Matthijs de Ligt, has had little time to recover from Wednesday night’s 2-1 loss to England in the Euros semi-finals.
The 24-year-old former Ajax and Juventus center-back is set to enter discussions with Bayern imminently regarding his future.
However, it’s believed that the German club is expecting Manchester United to take the initiative in negotiations.
Meanwhile, Zirkzee joins Old Trafford as competition for Danish forward Rasmus Hojlund, rather than as his replacement.
