Joshua Zirkzee was AC Milan’s big target in the 2023/24 season, but they left the summer mercato with two other strikers. Why? Well because the club refused to pay an extortionate agent fee, and perhaps, this was the right idea.
Even before Olivier Giroud’s departure was earmarked, Milan took an interest in the Dutch striker with him having a great start to the Serie A season. At one point it seemed a January mercato move could be on the cards, but a move in the summer was the preferred option.
A move that never happened.
Looking back to the summer, the Rossoneri had several opportunities to make a deal with the agent of the Dutchman – Kia Joorabchian – but refused to match his commission fees, and this decision was heavily scrutinised. However, Calciomercato.com asks if this was the right idea in hindsight.
The youngster has only scored once since Manchester United paid €40 million for him in the summer, and after a poor game against Tottenham – where he was hooked after 45 minutes – questions are being asked of him.
Context, perhaps, plays a part, with the Red Devils down to 10 men, but the Dutchman looked isolated before the captain was given his marching orders, and the report suggests that a return to Italy could be on the cards if his performances do not improve.
In fact, a return could occur as early as January, but whether the Rossoneri involve themselves in the proceedings is yet to be seen.
He has lost several good scoring chances for Man U. Unless he learns to shoot the ball properly, he will find it difficcult to play in high levels.
Greedy bastards always have happy endings…
Milan don’t need him again, this would serve as a lesson to him and every other players that allows their agents to take them to where they don’t wants to, all the sake of commission to their pocket 🤣🤣🤣
Zirkzee only had 1 decent season in his career so far and that was at Bologna last season under Motta. It was stupid of him to go to a new league so soon and he should have stayed in Serie A.
These players need to change their greedy agents who are ruining their careers. Zirkzee is not worth more than 25-30m. Smh
He is already a failure at Man United and he got what he deserved. I would take him on loan with an option to buy for no more than 30m.
Milan need another striker since we have now switch to playing with 2 strikers. I just the Milan management is not dumb to think that we just need an attacking midfielder because their is a difference in the role of the attacking midfielder and 2nd striker.
Calling a player a failure after a handful of matches is pretty ignorant. No different than the idiots who wanted Fonseca sacked after 3 matches
Agreed. However, I still believe that this Milan side wouldn’t of have been a good side for him and he would’ve struggled more here until he adapted.
In case you haven’t noticed, ManUtd altogether is a failure lately.
This happening was so, so easy to predict…
Not for a ton of people who slaughtered the club for not dishing out 40M + 10M to the agent to sign this guy. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
TBH, his odds in succeeding in Milan would have been 100x higher as he already knew the league. Too many/big changes for his little head and he couldn’t hack it.
Many people here weren’t in favor of this transfer, mostly because he didn’t score much last year and because of the agent stuff. The club was especially criticised because it’s been a huge mess for more than a month, and an unexpected struggle in the pursuit of a starting striker despite knowing for months that one would be required.
I remember how your cried because we were cheap and went for Morata instead. Dont change your narrative to fit the news of the day, stand up for your opinions even when you are wrong, or else everybody will loose respect for you.
You’re exactly right about Bart. He only comes in here to trash the club, ownership, and management. Killed them for not signing Zirkzee, killed the Abraham and Morata signings as well. Said the season was a catastrophe and the Scudetto was lost after 3 games. He’s already lost his credibility, he’s not going to save it by changing the narrative now.
It’s one thing for him and his agent to go for the biggest money they can get. It’s another thing for him to go to a team that has been both profligate and unable to get its act together for nearly a decade now and has only continued to decline every single year.
ManUre is where promising, overhyped players go to die.
He came to a Club where the strikers were losing their sharpness.
If he comes back to Italy he will obviously end up at Juventus with Motta, to replace the equally misfiring and much more expensive Vlahovic.
I said many times here he was not what we needed.
My friend supports UTD, He asked about him , I said, he is a nice player, very skillful but he is NOT a striker/goal scorer
People here kept saying he would score more for us and he would make more goals for other players.
The problem there is we needed someone to occupy the CB’s, which he doesn’t do. Also Rafa is not Salah, he is not a good finisher, that is why we needed and still need a true 9 who can get 20 goals.
Morata (also not a prolific scorer) will fill the gap short term, but eventually this needs to be fixed
I knew from the beginning that he wouldn’t succeed at Man. U.
Am not sure we meed him anymore unless on loan.
To be fair top talent is wasted at United. I wouldn’t go there no matter the payment. He would fit perfectly in Morata’s role but that was Zirkzee’s choice now he has to live with it.
Everyone strugles in United
It’s too early to tell if Zirk is a success or failure or not at Man U, but it’s looking like maybe management weren’t so dumb after all to spend a fraction of his price on Morata and Abraham.
“If only” article
Let’s forget about him. I’d rather see Cutrone at San Siro again. The boy loves ACM and he is progressing so well in Serie A with Como.
Zirkzee will be a distant memory next year.
Remember Mehdi Taremi, the Iranian striker that Milan were after last season? His transfer to Milan also got torpedoed by his agent’s outrageous demands.
Taremi ended up going to Inter, and he’s more or less been buried there. Good riddance.
I think there are a lot of players who jump into tougher leagues prematurely. Blows my mind that players don’t do their homework to see what club they are being trasnfered to. So much talent goes to the likes of, say, Chelsea or United only to wither away…
You don’t jump into the ring because you think you can box…
One good season doesn’t validate you. Stay, develop more. Bologna obviously wouldn’t be the same without Motta, but Zee could have made better moves, not even to Milan, if he wanted to.
I would say these are sadly driven by the agents.
I could never justify paying 40m for him but you must know if you choose manchester united you are probably going to fail. I think missing out on zirkzee was a blessing because we got Morata and Abraham out of it.
He could have done well with us. His movements were like what Morata supplies us with right now. But the price they were calling for? Nah! Also the whole of Man Utd are playing garbage right now. So it’s not just him and its way too early to judge, just like in our first 3 games too. Utd really need a change of direction and I’m pretty sure Ten is going to get the sack.
Z boi barely established himself in Italy and went to England. Ofc it’s gonna take time to adjust. And the club is not in a good place, hasn’t been for a while, it is what it is.
If he came to Milan doubt he’d had any more goals than Abraham does