Joshua Zirkzee will be one of the most coveted players in the market. The Dutch striker is liked almost everywhere, and in particular, AC Milan has put him at the top of their wish list as the new forward to build their post-Olivier Giroud future, who should depart for the United States.
Zirkzee's will...
This morning, Gazzetta dello Sport newspaper has been very clear in its headline:
"Zirkzee chooses Milan."
Clearly, the road is still long, but the news from the newspaper focuses on the fact that the Bologna striker would be happy to stay in Italy, where he has indeed flourished and knows how to express himself. And in Italy, the one who is showing the most interest is Milan, which would be ready to offer Zirkzee the number 9 shirt and a central role in an ambitious project.
For now, the parties like each other. What seems certain is that the Dutchman does not want to return to Bayern Munich: the Germans would take him back with 40 million to Bavaria, but competition with players like Kane and Tel, along with a not very positive first experience, makes him discard this option.
As mentioned, Milan, on the other hand, proposes an interesting project: Zirkzee has shown to have the right mentality and the broad shoulders to handle the pressure of San Siro. This year, he played three matches at the Scala del Calcio and never looked out of place. He also scored against Milan and Inter.
Clearly, the obstacle to overcome is Bologna. From their point of view, especially if they were to achieve a remarkable qualification for the Champions League, would want to try to keep Zirkzee for at least another season. However, the Rossoblù are aware that the market is not sentimental, and it is very likely that this summer there will be a queue of teams ready to invest in the number 9.
The benchmark is Hojlund, whom Atalanta sold for 70 million euros last summer: he was younger than Zirkzee but had scored a bit less, so it seems that Bologna is inclined to ask for the same figure, as relayed via Milan News.
Milan, on the other hand, has a weapon it could use to its advantage: Alexis Saelemaekers. The Belgian has ended up on loan at Bologna and is very much liked by Motta: his buyout clause is worth 10 million euros. Therefore, the newspaper hypothesizes that with 50 million euros plus Alexis's contract, Milan could convince the Bologna club management.
In all of this, there is the Premier League variable: if either Manchester United or Arsenal decides to make a move, they could quickly take Zirkzee off the market.
