Manchester United has made its first major signing under the new Ineos regime, officially acquiring Dutch striker Joshua Zirkzee from Bologna for a fee of 42.5 million euros (£36.5m). The 23-year-old forward has signed a five-year contract until June 2029, with an option to extend for an additional year.Zirkzee, who previously played for Bayern Munich and had loan spells at Parma and Anderlecht, is coming off a successful season with Bologna where he scored 11 goals and provided 5 assists, helping the team qualify for the Champions League. His performances also earned him a debut for the Dutch national team during the Euro 2024 quarterfinal against Turkey.Manchester United’s new sporting director, Dan Ashworth, expressed enthusiasm about the signing, stating, ‘We’re happy to have signed a player of Joshua’s caliber, who is ready to make his mark for Manchester United’. Ashworth believes Zirkzee is an ‘outstanding talent’ with the potential to grow into a world-class player.The transfer deal is notable for its structure, with Bayern Munich benefiting from a 50% share of the transfer fee due to a clause from Zirkzee’s previous transfer to Bologna. This arrangement could see Bayern receive more than 20 million euros from the deal.Zirkzee himself has expressed excitement about joining Manchester United, saying, ‘After discussing with the manager and leaders of the club, I realized the excitement that awaits me here and I can’t wait to play a role in achieving success with Manchester United’. He is expected to compete with Danish striker Rasmus Højlund for a spot in the team.While the signing has generally been met with optimism, some analysts have raised questions about Zirkzee’s goal-scoring record, noting his 0.24 non-penalty expected goals (npxG) per 90 minutes in Serie A last season as potentially concerning for a striker at this price point. However, Manchester United’s management appears confident in Zirkzee’s potential to make a significant impact at Old Trafford in the coming seasons.
Key points
- Manchester United has signed Joshua Zirkzee from Bologna for 42.
- Zirkzee has signed a five-year contract with an option for an additional year.
- This is Manchester United’s first major signing under the new Ineos regime.
- Bayern Munich will benefit from 50% of the transfer fee due to a previous clause.
5 million euros.
Contradictions👾There are slight discrepancies in the reported transfer fee, with some sources quoting £34 million and others £36.
5 million, likely due to currency conversion differences.
