Now we’ll see whether Man United took the bait once more, bringing in another one-season wonder, or Joshua Zirkzee will prove that he can shine among the best. The moment of truth is upon both the club and the player. Today, Zirkzee was officially confirmed as Manchester United’s first signing this season. He signed a contract until 2029 with a one-year extension option. United won the race to sign the Dutchman but also had to pay more to beat the competition and snatch the player before the others. The Red Devils obviously have great faith in the 23-year-old, who has had only one good season so far in his career.✍️🇳🇱 #MUFC pic.twitter.com/TAOLvfJYtR— Manchester United (@ManUtd) July 14, 2024 Zirkzee has always been considered a great talent and now he will finally get a real chance to prove himself as a world-class player. Feyenoord signed him as a 15-year-old, and already at the age of 17, he was at Bayern Munich. He spent some time in the Bavarians B squad, was loaned to Parma and Anderlecht, before Bologna’s transfer magician Giovanni Sartori snatched him. The 67-year-old believed in Zirkzee’s potential and agreed a transfer worth only 8.5 million euros with Bayern. However, the deal also included a 50% sell-on clause. At the same time, the release clause of 40 million euros was agreed.They’ve buried the hatchet. We’ll see for how long…The Dutchman exploded last season at Bologna under Thiago Motta and drew the attention of several stronger clubs like Arsenal, Juventus, and AC Milan. Bayern had a return clause of 20 million euros, meaning that they could get the player and then resell him themselves, but they decided not to complicate things, especially since there were many clubs ready to activate the release clause.Milan was initially the closest to signing Zirkzee, agreeing to pay the aforementioned 40 million euros and talk with the player about his conditions. However, they were not on the same page with the player’s manager, Kia Joorabchian. The controversial agent demanded an incredible amount of 15 million euros in commission, and the Rossoneri had to give up. What the Italian clubs do not want or cannot pay is not a problem for the Premier League sides, especially for Manchester United, which have been making expensive team reconstructions and paying the sums others don’t want for years.This man is unbreakable – he stays for another year in his boyhood clubUltimately, the Red Devils coughed up more than they should have – 42.5 million euros plus 3 million worth of add-ons. But that’s why Bologna agreed to allow United to pay the compensation in instalments over the next three years instead of compensating all at once. In addition, Joorabchian reduced the commission to 10 million euros, but the player will annually earn 5 million more compared to what Milan offered. In the end, Bayern gets about 17 million euros of the total amount, while Bologna receives the rest.##NAJAVA_MECA_8209958##Zirkzee is the first major signing at Old Trafford in this transfer window and probably the only one in attack. With him and Rasmus Hojlund, Erik ten Hag will have two young and talented forwards. The reconstruction of the defensive line is following. The transfer of Matthijs de Ligt is near completion, while United still works on Leny Yoro’s transfer, having received some positive signals from Lille. According to sources, the Red Devils are willing to pay as much as 50 million euros for the 18-year-old centre-back. The Frenchman hoped for a move to Real Madrid, though, but Los Blancos offered a smaller amount.
