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Well it’s all confirmed, Joshua Zirkzee is officially a Red Devil.
Following his medical assessment at Old Trafford last week, the Dutch international has joined Manchester United for a total of €42.5 million (£35.8 million), which is set to be paid across three years.
Th journey that’s seen Zirkzee move from Bologna to United has been a tightly fought contest between United and AC Milan as the main two parties who were favourite to sign the 6′ 4″ striker.
Over time Milan decided to step away from the deal with former United and Milan striker Zlatan Ibrahimović stating the club are going in a different direction whilst commenting in his role as Milan’s senior advisor.
In the middle of all this, Zirkzee has been representing the Netherlands’ national team at Euro 2024, with the squad reaching the Semi-Finals where they were knocked out by England thanks to an incredible Ollie Watkins goal. During the tournament, made next to no appearances, wracking up four minutes of game time as a substitute, coming on for the final three minutes against Turkey and the final minute against England.
Following the Dutch victory over Turkey, Zirkzee was interviewed for comment on his future club and his plans for next season, however the striker refused to comment, merely saying: “I don’t know, let’s see.”
Now, having moved to the Premier League on a five year contract, Zirkzee is understood, as per reports from Corriere Bologna, to be earning £56,000 per week during his time at United, earning just under £3 million per year.
The Guardian have reported that speaking for the first time as a United player, Zirkzee said: “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,”
He continued: “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.”
New sporting director Dan Ashworth has also commented, saying: “Securing a forward to enhance our already strong group of attacking players was a key aim for this summer. We are delighted that we’ve managed to sign a player of Joshua’s calibre this early in the transfer window.”
He continued: “Joshua is an outstanding talent who is ready to make an impact for Manchester United. His ability and desire to grow into a world-class player means that he will be a great addition to the squad that we are building for the exciting season ahead and beyond.
“Having already achieved a significant amount in his career, we will provide Joshua with the perfect platform to reach the next level under the guidance and support of Erik ten Hag and the coaching staff. We look forward to seeing Joshua thrive at Old Trafford over the coming years.”
The Red Devils have an in built option to extend Zirkzee’s contract by a further 12 months if they wish, which will no doubt be considered further down the line.
