Man Utd steal a march on Arsenal in race to sign 'Dutch Ibrahimovic'

Tom Weber

• 30 Jan 2024 15:16 CST
• 3 min read

Manchester United are the only club to have so far approached Bologna over a potential move for Joshua Zirkzee, according to a report.

The Dutch striker is enjoying a brilliant season with Thiago Motta's Serie A surprise packages, having notched eight goals and two assists so far. His goalscoring and towering presence have earned Zirkzee comparisons to none other than Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Unsurprisingly given his form this term, the 22-year-old has caught the eye of Europe's big hitters. Formerly of Bayern, Zirkzee is finally living up to the potential he showed in his earlier years and many clubs are keen to get a piece of that.

The likes of Man Utd, Arsenal, Tottenham and, most recently, AC Milan have all been linked with the striker. It is, however, thought that Bayern hold an advantage, though there is some uncertainty about what exactly that advantage is. Some claim that the Bavarians have a €20 million to €25m buy-back clause, while the official Bologna line is that there is a €40m release clause that only applies to the German side.

Crucially, the Bavarians have, as things stand, no intention to re-sign Zirkzee, paving the way for other clubs to make a move.

Man Utd make first move

According to journalist Ben Jacobs, Man Utd are the only side to have thus far made any kind of approach for the Dutchman. "Zirkzee is a really interesting one for the summer," he told GIVEMESPORT. "Arsenal, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur are three to watch from the Premier League."

"Manchester United are the ones that have had some kind of formative approach, certainly on the player side. Arsenal and Spurs haven't moved yet, but that may change in the summer. There is a release clause, and if Bologna are to be believed, it only applies to Bayern and is €40m."

"Bayern sources term a move to resign him as unlikely but not impossible. So they can't yet be 100% discounted. And as I say, Bologna have said on record that the release clause only applies to Bayern."

"So if we take them at their word, then the Premier League clubs are just going to have to use that €40m number as a yardstick, which means that he'll be available in the market in the summer for a minimum of €30m+. There has been no formal approaches yet. Nothing will happen in January."