Just as they did with Cody Gakpo, Liverpool are seemingly waiting in the wings to potentially steal a transfer target from under Manchester United’s noses.
Lightning could strike twice as the player in question this time around is also a Dutch forward, namely Joshua Zirkzee.
As reported by CaughtOffside, the Old Trafford outfit are progressing with talks for the 23-year-old, with the Bologna attacker seeking a contract of four to five years in length with the Red Devils.
However, should he fail to agree terms with United, he could then become an option for Liverpool, with Arne Slot believed to be ‘appreciative’ of the striker’s abilities.
Zirkzee struggled to make an impact at Bayern Munich but he enjoyed a splendid 2023/24 campaign as he proved pivotal to Bologna qualifying for the Champions League, scoring 11 times in 34 Serie A appearances (Transfermarkt).
His then-manager Thiago Motta hailed him as a ‘leader’ and even likened him to Brazil legend Ronaldinho (GOAL), which is quite an illustrious comparison to make.
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Liverpool already have two dependable centre-forward options in Gakpo and Darwin Nunez, with Diogo Jota and Mo Salah also capable of playing through the middle, although it’s easy to see why they may have eyes on a swoop for the 23-year-old if talks with United break down.
His release clause at Bologna is believed to be €40m (£33.8m), a modest figure for a prolific scorer at a Champions League club in the modern era; and as outlined by Breaking The Lines, he provides an enviable combination of aerial presence, excellent link-up play, swift movement and ambidexterity.
If we can beat our arch-rivals to the punch for Zirkzee, it’d represent quite the feather in Slot’s cap during his first transfer window at Anfield.
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