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Manchester United could part ways with Joshua Zirkzee this summer as part of their transfer shakeup.
Following a difficult start to life at Old Trafford, Zirkzee appeared to be gradually finding his place in the club, producing increasingly impressive performances as time went by.
Sadly, his progress was disrupted upon suffering a hamstring injury. As a result, he is expected to be ruled out for the rest of the season, with the player himself admitting that a return in time for the UEFA Europa League final appears unlikely.
While he may not be showing off his talent on the pitch at present, Inter Milan appear to have taken his previous performances very seriously as they look to reinforce their squad in the upcoming transfer window.
Corriere dello Sport reported today that Inter are looking to recruit Zirkzee, especially given his experience at the summit of Serie A.
“If United were to fail to win the Europa League, they would also lose their last chance to play in the Champions League,” the report noted. “And next year, with only the Premier League, the space would be even more limited. Not to mention that the Red Devils, also dissatisfied with Hojlund’s performance, are already thinking of hunting for another striker. In short, it is likely that they too would look favorably on a new placement for Zirkzee.”
But while United might be forced to offload certain players due to their financial crunch, should it transpire, they might not part ways with Zirkzee permanently, at least not at first.
“The idea of the Nerazzurri club, however, is to propose a loan with an option to buy to United, which, perhaps, under certain conditions, could become an obligation,” the report added.
“A summer ago, the Red Devils paid the 40 million clause to take Zirkzee from Bologna. It is not a stratospheric figure for a top-level striker, who has also lost value in the last 12 months. And even the salary would not be an obstacle, given that we are talking about 3.5 million per season plus bonuses.”
Should Inter’s pursuit of Zirkzee become serious, they could face some stiff competition to sign him.
Napoli previously emerged as a potential destination for Zirkzee, with both the player and the club reportedly open to a transfer, as acknowledged by The Peoples Person.
Should Zirkzee depart United, he would no doubt be a loss for manager Ruben Amorim. Still, with a deal for Matheus Cunha on the table, Zirkzee’s departure could become financially necessary depending on the movements of other players in the squad.
This makes it all the more important for United to come away with a victory in the Europa League final on May 21, especially with qualification for next season’s Champions League on the cards.
Featured image Gareth Copley via Getty Images
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