Italian outlet LaRoma24.it reports that Manchester United have set an asking price of 50 million euros for Joshua Zirkzee.
Following Roma’s 3–0 away win over Celtic in the Europa League, the club’s sporting director, Tiago Pinto Massara, travelled directly from Glasgow to London to hold face-to-face talks with Manchester United over a possible deal for the striker.
According to the report, discussions are centred on a loan move with a mandatory purchase option, with the key sticking point being the transfer fee. United are demanding 50 million euros (around £44 million), a figure Roma consider beyond their reach. However, with backing from the Friedkin family, the Giallorossi are prepared to table an offer close to 40 million euros (approximately £35 million), excluding the player’s proposed net annual salary of 5 million euros.
Despite the gap in valuation, LaRoma24.it notes that Roma remain cautiously optimistic for three main reasons: ongoing daily talks between both clubs, Zirkzee’s openness to the move, and Roma’s willingness to wait until late January to complete the transfer. This would allow Manchester United to retain the player for the Africa Cup of Nations, should an agreement be reached.
The report adds that if Roma are ultimately unable to secure Zirkzee’s signature, the club has alternative plans in place. Their backup options include signing both a centre forward and a winger, with Lorenzo Lucca, Giacomo Raspadori and Albert Gudmundsson currently being monitored.
