Man Utd's Sesko Plan B: Ten Hag attempts €40m HIJACK for Dutchman

Imre Himmelbauer

Updated: 12 Jun 2024 18:37 BST
3 min read

Erik ten Hag, Man Utd, Netherlands — © IMAGO

Joshua Zirkzee is one of Manchester United's top transfer targets this summer.

Article continues under the video

According to Sky Sports, the Bologna striker is one of the most important transfer objectives of Erik ten Hag's club. Zirkzee is currently under contract until 2026.

The Dutchman had a strong season at Bologna. Under Thiago Motta, the club finished in fifth place in Serie A and thus qualified for the Champions League. The Dutch striker played an important role in the Rossoblu's success with 11 goals and 5 assists in 34 league games.

Zirkzee's contract with Bologna includes a buyout sum of €40 million. According to Sky Sports, Man Utd are willing to pay that amount. The Red Devils have a number of other strikers on the list, Sky Sports writes without mentioning specific names.

Man Utd to hijack Milan?

The news comes as somewhat of a surprise, as it was previously reported that Zirkzee has already agreed on a transfer to AC Milan. Chief scout Geoffrey Moncada is said to have recently flown to London to meet Kia Joorabchian, the 23-year-old's agent, and finalised the details of the deal.

Zirkzee is tasked with replacing Olivier Giroud at the San Siro, who exchanged Milan for Los Angeles FC on a free transfer. In addition to Man Utd and AC Milan, Arsenal are also competing for the Dutchman's signature.

The Londoners are looking for a young striker who they can further develop. Juventus, who have just announced the appointment of Zirkzee's boss Thiago Motta, would also like to bring in the striker, but will first have to sell another centre-forward.

Both Arsenal and Man Utd were snubbed by top striker target Benjamin Sesko on Tuesday, with the Slovenian extending his stay with RB Leipzig until 2029 instead of heading to England.