Athletic: ‘Deal now close’ as Man Utd agree to pay ‘sizeable’ Zirkzee commission | OneFootball

Man Utd are closing in on the signing of Joshua Zirkzee, who has been on AC Milan’s radar for several months. Having agreed to pay the commission to the striker’s agent, the English side are about to close the deal.

Zirkzee impressed with Bologna during the 2023-24 season, as did many players under Thiago Motta’s guidance, and Milan have been following him since November. He appeared to be close at one point but the agent commission stopped the whole thing, with the Rossoneri unwilling to meet these demands.

According to David Ornstein of The Athletic, Manchester United have swooped in and an agreement has been reached with both the player and his agent. The English side believe that the commission is ‘sizeable’, but that it’s worth paying given the overall cost of the player.

The release clause is set at €40m, after all, and few strikers of Zirkzee’s quality are valued at that amount. Ornstein adds ‘deal now close’ as Man Utd must decide whether to pay the clause or find another arrangement, but it seems to be just a matter of time.

In the meantime, Milan and Zlatan Ibrahimovic are pushing for the arrival of Alvaro Morata, so it appears that they know that the Zirkzee race is lost.