Joshua Zirkzee is being pursued by Man Utd and Arsenal
Arsenal are at risk of missing out on a Serie A striker as Manchester United have made the first move for him, Tottenham Hotspur are hoping to bring in a Bayern Munich man after losing Harry Kane to the German giants, while Tuesday’s Euro Paper Talk includes Manchester City wanting to sign a Barcelona starlet.
MAN UTD OVERTAKE ARSENAL IN TRANSFER CHASE
Man Utd have leapfrogged Arsenal in the race for Bologna centre-forward Joshua Zirkzee as they have opened preliminary discussions for his signing, according to reports.
Man Utd spent an initial £64million to make Rasmus Hojlund their new striker in the summer, and they could have to pay Atalanta a further £8m if certain conditions are met.
Erik ten Hag wanted the Dane to become his new focal point in attack, and so far Hojlund has managed seven goals and one assist in 25 games.
It took him 15 attempts to register his first Premier League goal, though he shone during Man Utd’s disappointing Champions League campaign by hitting five goals in six games.
As Hojlund is still only 20 years old, he has plenty of time to get used to Man Utd and potentially reach his brilliant potential.
But new Man Utd chief Sir Jim Ratcliffe is understood to be keen on signing another striker to help get the best out of Hojlund and lessen the pressure on his shoulders.
This is where Zirkzee comes in. On Christmas Eve, it emerged that the 22-year-old is on Man Utd’s list of potential striker additions.
CBS Sports have now provided an update on the situation. They state that Man Utd have begun the process of trying to sign Zirkzee, as they have entered ‘early talks’ with Bologna over a deal.
Red Devils in for Arsenal striker target Joshua Zirkzee
The Red Devils want to know whether Bologna will be open to letting him go either this month or over the summer, and how much they will demand for him.
Valuations of the Dutchman vary, as some reports claim his value to be £30m while others have suggested Bologna will hold out for as much as £50m.
Man Utd have started initial negotiations for Zirkzee as they want to get the jump on Arsenal. On January 13, Arsenal sporting director Edu reportedly greenlighted a swoop for Zirkzee. But the Gunners will have to act fast if they are to sign him as Man Utd are gunning to complete the deal first.
Zirkzee spent time in the Feyenoord youth setup before moving to Bayern as a teenager in 2017. He gradually made his way through the ranks in Bavaria but was only given 17 first-team appearances.
Zirkzee had loan spells at Parma and Anderlecht, as he looked to pick up more experience. But when it became clear that he would not be given regular game time by Bayern, he pushed to leave and subsequently joined Bologna in August 2022.
The Netherlands U21 international has since emerged into a key player for the Serie A outfit, having captained them in the recent 1-1 draw with Genoa. And Zirkzee has managed eight goals and four assists from 22 games so far, form which has alerted Man Utd and Arsenal to his ability.
WEST HAM EXIT TO HELP EVERTON
Real Betis’ pursuit of West Ham United midfielder Pablo Fornals might give Everton an opportunity to sign one of their own targets, Betis star Luiz Henrique. (ABC Sevilla)
Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu are ‘close’ to penning new contracts with Arsenal after extensive negotiations. (Fabrizio Romano)
AC Milan are ‘in contact’ with the agent of Fulham defender Tosin Adarabioyo as they look to engineer a contract agreement. The 26-year-old is due to become a free agent at the end of the season. (Gianluca Di Marzio)
New Man Utd CEO Omar Berrada will give players one to two years to prove their worth before deciding to sell them. This will help to prevent repeats of the Anthony Martial situation. (Fabrizio Romano)
Brazil legend Ronaldo has tipped Kylian Mbappe to snub a move to Liverpool and sign for Real Madrid. (RMC Sport)
TOTTENHAM INTERESTED IN BAYERN MAN
Tottenham have made a ‘request’ for Bayern technical director Marco Neppe, who could soon leave the Allianz Arena. Such a move would see Tottenham partially avenge the departure of Harry Kane, who left for Bayern over the summer. (Bild)
Barcelona will allow striker Robert Lewandowski to decide his own future this summer. They will continue with him as their main striker if he feels comfortable at the club, though they would also understand if he pushes for a big-money contract elsewhere. (Sport)
Liverpool have ‘invited’ the agent of Genk ‘Golden Boy’ Bilal El Khannouss to Anfield to discuss a potential move for the 19-year-old playmaker. He is also wanted by Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen. (HLN)
Jorge Mendes has confirmed that Benfica pair Joao Neves and Antonio Silva will be remaining in Portugal this winter. Although, the agent has also hinted Benfica might sell them at the end of the season, with Man Utd eager to strike a huge double deal. (Record)
Belgian midfielder Orel Mangala has given a move to Napoli the green light, as he looks to force his way out of Nottingham Forest. (Il Mattino)
MAN CITY SET SIGHTS ON BARCELONA YOUNGSTER
Pep Guardiola is a huge fan of Pau Cubarsi and has instructed Man City to raid his former club Barcelona for the 17-year-old Spanish centre-back. (AS)
Tottenham have decided they are willing to loan winger Bryan Gil out again, amid interest from Lazio. (Corriere dello Sport)
Swedish wonderkid Lucas Bergvall will not be joining Man Utd, as it is instead Barca and Eintracht Frankfurt who are pushing hard to snap him up. (Fabrizio Romano)
Despite being linked with Man Utd, Arsenal and Chelsea, Karim Benzema could instead return to France next. Lyon are plotting an ambitious proposal to re-sign the striker from Al Ittihad. (various)
Ex-Everton striker Moise Kean could be on the move again, as Leverkusen have approached Juventus about a deal for the Italian. (Sky Germany)
