Man Utd complete signing of Joshua Zirkzee
- Joshua Zirkzee joins Man Utd from Bologna
- Transfer fee believed to be slightly more than £34m release clause
- Matthijs de Ligt could soon follow Netherlands teammate to Old Trafford
By Sean Walsh
Manchester United have announced the signing of Joshua Zirkzee from Bologna.
The 23-year-old striker becomes the first incoming under INEOS' control of footballing operations at Old Trafford.
90min first revealed in January that Zirkzee was being monitored by United as a summer transfer target owing to his fine form in Serie A, eventually helping Bologna qualify for the Champions League at the end of the 2023/24 season.
United advanced their interest in recent weeks and took advantage when rival suitors AC Milan withdrew from the race, having been unable to reach an agreement over the hefty commission fee demanded by Zirkzee's agents.
Though Zirkzee's contract contained a release clause worth roughly £34m, it has been widely reported United will pay a transfer fee slightly in excess of that to Bologna, but as part of a more favourable payment scheme.
"Having had discussions with the manager and the leaders of the club I know how exciting the future is going to be here and I cannot wait to play my part in achieving success for Manchester United," Zirkzee said.
"I am a player who has always dedicated everything to winning; I’m ready for this next challenge, to go to another level in my career and win more trophies.
"It is a privilege to join such an iconic club. I have to take a short break now after being with the national team, but I’ll be coming back ready to make an impact straight away."
United manager Erik ten Hag has long talked of the need for the club to bring in reinforcements in the striker position. During his first season, he largely had to rely on the injury-prone Anthony Martial, while Wout Weghorst signed on loan in the winter after Cristiano Ronaldo's contract was terminated.
Last summer, Rasmus Hojlund joined from Atalanta for £64m and he was the last remaining senior striker on United's books following the release of Martial. The likes of Marcus Rashford, Bruno Fernandes and Scott McTominay have all filled in up front during Ten Hag's tenure.
Zirkzee is not the only Dutchman expected to head to United this summer, with the club in talks with Bayern Munich over centre-back Matthijs de Ligt, who worked with Ten Hag at Ajax.
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