Zirkzee's Man Utd exit: €35m Juventus deal 'enters DANGER ZONE'

Tom Weber

• Updated: 18 Nov 2024 14:23 GMT
• 4 min read

The futures of Joshua Zirkzee and Dusan Vlahovic appear entwined and Juventus are increasingly likely to make a huge decision on the latter's contract, according to Italian media.

Joshua Zirkzee continues to be linked with an exit from Man Utd. Though he will be given a chance by Ruben Amorim, if he can't improve under the Portuguese, a quick departure from Old Trafford may be a good solution for everyone involved.

While the Dutchman has recently been associated with a spectacular swap deal for loaned-out Napoli star Victor Osimhen, the club most prominently linked are Juventus, coached by his former Bologna mentor Thiago Motta.

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Juventus are in the market for a new striker, but as revealed on Saturday, a lot will hinge on Dusan Vlahovic's future.

Vlahovic's contract: 'Something has jammed'

Gazzetta dello Sport now provides an update on the Serb's talks with Juventus over a new contract. It said that the Bianconeri are desperate to get him to agree fresh terms before the end of the year but that there has been no progress recently.

Vlahovic is by far the club's biggest earner and the full value of his remaining contract amounts to an eye-watering €35 million, something that Juventus are keen to change one way or another either by amortisation via an extension or a pay cut.

However, while on Saturday there was talk of a potential summer move, the new report goes so far as to suggest that Juventus could look to sell Vlahovic already in January if no agreement on a new deal can be reached before the winter window opens.

There is, of course, an acceptance that it could be difficult to find a buyer for the striker in January and his recent claims that he can only properly function in a front two when he doesn't have to do defensive work will have concerned some of his potential suitors.

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It is, however, something that Juventus would consider to prevent his contract from reaching 'the danger zone' and upsetting the club's financial 'equilibrium' after a summer of heavy spending.

Naturally, Juventus will only resort to selling Vlahovic in January if they are confident that they can immediately sign an adequate replacement, and this is where Zirkzee comes in.

For now, Juventus will try to strike a deal with Vlahovic, but it is entirely up in the air whether or not an agreement can be reached.