Milan must make a decision on Zirkzee as Manchester United threaten | OneFootball

Milan are perhaps picking the wrong agent to take a stand against with regards to commission, as Kia Joorabchian earned his, but Susy Campanale also feels Joshua Zirkzee is not the right striker for them.

This is becoming something of a familiar pattern to Rossoneri supporters in recent years, as they are told there is a basic agreement in place for a player and then everything grinds to a halt. We in the media bear the brunt of their anger as deals crumble, but we can only reflect what is happening on the transfer market.

It really feels as if Zirkzee risks being another deal that never was, with the club refusing to take the extra step to complete it. Not for the first time, the issue is around commission, and nobody can deny agents are getting completely out of control with their demands. Signing-on fees are expected for free agents, contract renewals and just general transfers, adding millions to the budget for no discernible reason. It’s a battle worth fighting and Milan can be admired for taking a stand.

However, in this very specific case, Kia Joorabchian earned his commission. He got the €40m release clause written into Zirkzee’s contract when the striker moved from Bayern Munich to Bologna last summer. More importantly, unlike what we were all told for months, he worded it in such a way that it could be activated by any club and not just the Germans. Before that news, it was assumed anyone wanting to purchase Zirkzee would have to pay the Rossoblu at least €60m, if not more.

I am more than happy to take a stand when agents want commission for doing nothing, but it has to be said, Joorabchian saved his next club money with that clause and this time deserves to be thanked for it. If Milan cannot see that, then Manchester United, Arsenal or even Juventus will.

Is Zirkzee the right striker for Milan?

Having said all of that, I am by no means convinced that Zirkzee is the right striker for the Rossoneri. He is set to replace Olivier Giroud, a man who works for the team yes, but above all puts the ball in the back of the net. The Dutchman is barely even a centre-forward, dropping deep and creating more than acting as a focal point for the attack. He scored 12 goals in 37 competitive games for Bologna this season and provided seven assists. Giroud needed 17 with nine assists in 48 matches for Milan, despite it being by far from his best campaign.

Among the main problems for the Diavolo this term was their inability to convert chances into goals, so would Zirkzee ultimately fix that or just make it worse? They already have Rafael Leao to take defenders on, Christian Pulisic to put in crosses, Noah Okafor and Samuel Chukwueze for pace followed by rushed finishing. Zirkzee is no target man, as he did not score a single header this season for Bologna, despite standing at 1.93m (over 6ft 3in).

The Dutch international has skill with his feet, but having watched him play regularly for Bologna this season, he is far from clinical in his finishing. When Milan have flourished over the years, it has been with a centre-forward who focuses almost exclusively on making the most of those assists. I’m thinking of Oliver Bierhoff, Pippo Inzaghi, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and in the most recent Scudetto with Giroud. Zirkzee may well improve in those areas, but if they want him to lead the attack with only Luka Jovic as understudy, then it’s going to have to be a very fast process.