West Ham United are reportedly battling with Everton over a deal to sign Manchester United striker Joshua Zirkzee, as per TEAMtalk.
After being impressed by the Dutchman’s performances for Bologna, the Red Devils decided to secure his services last year. However, he has found it difficult to find his feet in the Premier League, scoring only four goals in 40 appearances since the start of last season.
Following Benjamin Sesko’s arrival last term, Zirkzee has fallen down the pecking order under Ruben Amorim, and amid the Slovenian’s injury absence, the former Bayern Munich star has been featuring regularly in recent matches.
However, TEAMtalk report that United are open to letting him leave in January for a fee of around £35m, with his existing deal set to run until 2029. The Red Devils are even ready to accept a loan proposal with an obligation to make the move permanent next summer.
West Ham are interested in signing Zirkzee to bolster the frontline; however, purchasing the striker won’t be straightforward, as Brighton and Hove Albion, Aston Villa, and Everton are in this race as well.
Moreover, Sevilla, PSV Eindhoven, AC Milan, and Juventus have expressed their interest in him. However, AS Roma are showing the most concrete interest and have already opened negotiations with Man Utd to finalise the operation.
Battle
The Giallorossi are ready to allow Evan Ferguson to return to Brighton and are planning to replace the Irishman with Zirkzee, with Artem Dovbyk struggling to perform at his best in Serie A.
West Ham currently have Niclas Fullkrug and Callum Wilson as the striker options. However, it has been reported that the German might leave in mid-season, and Nuno Espirito Santo is looking for a new striker to replace the former Borussia Dortmund star.
On the other hand, Thierno Barry and Beto are Everton’s striker options, but the duo have struggled this season. So, perhaps, David Moyes is planning to upgrade this position next year.
Although Zirkzee hasn’t been able to perform at his best at Old Trafford, he is a talented player and could be a shrewd acquisition for West Ham or Everton should either club eventually manage to secure his service.
