AC Milan’s hopes of signing Joshua Zirkzee have been dealt a sizeable blow due to a couple of factors, a report claims, and now they are likely to have to turn to other targets.
This morning’s edition of La Gazzetta dello Sport (seen below) recall how everything seemed to be going Milan’s way in the Zirkzee sweepstakes. First it was confirmed that he has a €40m release clause, which they have no problem paying, then the player expressed a preference to remain in Italy over going to the Premier League.
However, the surprises arrived at the final bend as Bayern Munich re-entered the race and the commissions requested by the player’s agent presented a hurdle. The sudden braking means the road could now proceed in different directions.
The first stop signal came from Vincent Kompany, the newly-appointed Bayern coach. The former Manchester City defender wants to bring Zirkzee back to Munich, and he was Joshua’s coach two years ago at Anderlecht, a season which the attacker ended with 18 goals.
Bayern could be equally decisive: it is the club where Zirkzee grew up and the team with which he made his debut in the Champions League before even in the Bundesliga. He would return to Germany for €25m because the Bavarians have a 40% resale clause which knocks that amount off his clause.
Milan look elsewhere
It is not good news for the Rossoneri leadership, but they have already been probing other options for some time now. The first is Benjamin Sesko who has just turned 21 and scored 18 goals in the last season. Due to his age, talent and potential, he is inevitably the most expensive.
There is competition from the Premier League, this time from Arsenal, who however can not guarantee him a starting spot. Milan instead can offer him the No.9 shirt and a central role in the project.
Sesko is the youngest among the potential candidates, Guirassy the most prolific: he has just concluded a season in which he scored 30 goals in as many games, while the Diavolo met with his agents at their headquarters, demonstrating the concrete interest.
In terms of quality-price ratio it would seem like a bargain because of his €17.5m clause, but Guirassy is 28 years old and 2023-24 was the only season in his career in which he well exceeded double figures.
The outsiders
Santiago Gimenez of Feyenoord remains on Milan’s list after a season with 23 goals in 30 games in the last Eredivisie stadium. From Cruz Azul in Mexico, he moved to Rotterdam in the summer of 2022, and Milan would be his first top club.
However, he is not the only one who wants to bet on him: other top European clubs have inquired. Milan is obviously among these and the possible purchase price does not discourage them too much, because Feyenoord want €50m and the budget is there.
If Gimenez becomes unreachable then Milan have never given up on the Jonathan David idea. The club know Lille’s requests, currently around €40m, and Fonseca knows the player very well having coached him in the last two seasons in France, the best of the attacker’s career.
