Manchester United striker Joshua Zirkzee has broken his pact with Juventus and technical director Frederic Massara and prefers to join Fiorentina, according to Corriere dello Sport (page 5).
The Netherlands international has been linked with a move away from the Red Devils throughout the summer, and Fiorentina have now emerged as a suitable destination for the 25-year-old.
Juventus were initially front-runners, but Corriere dello Sport claim that the player has broken his promise with the Bianconeri and Massara, who are reliant on Jonathan David’s sale to sign him.
Meanwhile, Fiorentina have already made a loan offer worth £4.3m to the Red Devils for the Dutchman with a conditional option to buy for £21.4m plus bonuses.
They are considering selling Moise Kean to Como and have earmarked Zirkzee as the ideal replacement.
Zirkzee has given the green light to the move, as he wants to leave the Red Devils for regular game time.
Man Utd should explore a conditional buy clause based on appearances
Zirkzee has endured a difficult couple of seasons with United. He has failed to make an impact in the Premier League, scoring only five goals in 56 appearances.
Benjamin Sesko arrived from RB Leipzig last summer and eclipsed that with 11 goals for the season. The Slovenian is United’s regular striker up front when he is fully fit.
Alongside him, the club have Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha and Marcus Rashford, who has returned from his loan spell at Barcelona, as options to play as a number nine.
Hence, it is unsurprising that Zirkzee is looking for a way out of the club. He was an unused substitute against Hull City last weekend, where Cunha and Sesko were preferred as centre-forwards.
In our view, United should demand a conditional buy clause based on appearances.
It should not be related to European qualification, given Fiorentina finished 15th in Serie A last term.
The Red Devils purchased Zirkzee from Bologna for £36.5m in 2024. Fiorentina have so far proposed a deal worth £25.7m plus add-ons.
United should seek an overall deal of at least £30m (fixed), with performance bonuses bringing the figure close to what they paid to Bologna.
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