Juventus & Man Utd working on bridging the gap for wantaway striker | OneFootball

Juventus and Manchester United are set to meet in the coming days to discuss the potential transfer of Joshua Zirkzee.

While the Bianconeri had been reluctant when it came to bolstering their attack in January, Arkadiusz Milik’s latest injury setback should settle the matter once and for all. With the Pole continuing to struggle for fitness, the club cannot afford to leave Dusan Vlahovic without a proper alternative for another six months.

Hence, Juventus have reportedly decided to accelerate their attempts to land Zirkzee who remains one of the hottest names on Cristiano Giuntoli’s shortlist, and an old ally of Thiago Motta who oversaw the young striker’s best career run thus far during their time together at Bologna.

Moreover, the 23-year-old has failed to convince new Man Utd coach Ruben Amorim, and his last outing ended in dramatic fashion, as the Portuguese decided to haul him off in the middle of the first half with the team trailing 0-2 to Newcastle, prompting cheers from the Old Trafford faithful. This nightmarish experience might prove to be the final nail in the coffin of the Dutchman’s United stint which never truly took off.

So according to La Gazzetta dello Sport via IlBianconero, the Red Devils are now willing to negotiate an initial loan deal in January, which could prove to be the opening that Juventus need to land their primary target.

However, there are still some knots to untie on this front, as the Bianconeri would like to sign the Netherlands international on loan with an option to buy, while the Premier League giants insist on adding an obligation to buy.

Therefore, the two clubs will resume their talks in the coming days as they try to bridge the gap and find a solution that would pave the way for Zirkzee’s arrival in Turin. Even though the source warns that negotiations won’t be easy for Cristiano Giuntoli and Co., it appears that all the parties are in favour of the operation, so it wouldn’t be too far-fetched to believe a solution can be found.