Euro Paper Talk: Man Utd accelerate ‘quality’ signing that will strike fear into rivals; Liverpool in ‘concrete talks’ for Leipzig transfer

Manchester United have ramped up their pursuit of a striker who’ll give Erik ten Hag’s attack a ‘leap in quality’, while a transfer between Liverpool and RB Leipzig is in the works and an Italy ace is primed to spark a bidding war between Arsenal and Tottenham – all in Wednesday’s Euro Paper Talk.

MAN UTD SURGE TOWARDS STRIKER SIGNING

Man Utd have accelerated one aspect of their move for Bologna striker Joshua Zirkzee amid wildly encouraging assessments of what he’ll bring to the table at Old Trafford.

Zirkzee, 23, has emerged as Man Utd’s No 1 target to compete with – and potentially displace – Rasmus Hojlund.

The Netherlands international is currently at Euro 2024, though is yet to feature in the tournament thus far.

Zirkzee’s future is coming to a crossroads next week when the €40m/£34m release clause in his Bologna contract becomes active on July 1.

AC Milan have already signalled they intend to trigger the clause, though the Italian giants are being put off by the prospect of having to pay huge sums in agent’s fees.

Zirkzee’s agent is Kia Joorabchian and reports claim the no-nonsense negotiator is demanding €15m from Milan to close a deal.

By contrast, Zirkzee is understood to be ‘flattered’ by Man Utd’s interest and as a result, Joorabchian is reportedly prepared to drop his demands to €9.5m for the Red Devils.

Now, according to a fresh update from Calciomercato, Man Utd have intensified their contacts with the agent.

Man Utd want double agreement before activating clause in five days

United are yet to make official contact with Bologna, though that is not surprising given the Serie A side can be taken out of the equation by simply activating the release clause.

As such, Man Utd aim to strike agreements with Zirkzee and Joorabchian first. Doing so would mean United can quickly wrap up a deal upon activating the clause.

Initial talks between United and Zirkzee’s camp were labelled positive by transfer guru Fabrizio Romano. The update from Calciomercato states further progress has been made over the past few days.

Milan cannot yet be discounted from the race, though the signs are now beginning to points towards a positive outcome for Man Utd.

Joshua Zirkzee the ‘missing piece’ in United’s attack?

The signing of Zirkzee would be proof of Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s new transfer policy coming into effect.

Ratcliffe has ditched the trend of making ‘Hollywood’ signings of ageing stars who’ve seen better days and have little to no re-sale value. The likes of Raphael Varane, Casemiro and Cristiano Ronaldo during his second stint in Manchester fall into that category.

Instead, Ratcliffe wants younger stars in their early 20s who’ll spend their prime years at Old Trafford.

Zirkzee bagged 12 goals and seven assists in 37 matches for Bologna last term. However, it’s his link-up play and ability to hold up the ball and compete for Andre Onana’s accurate long balls from deep that has Man Utd hot and bothered.

When concluding their update on Zirkzee, Calciomercato stated Man Utd believe the Dutchman is the ‘missing player’ their attack requires.

‘Zirkzee is considered the missing player,  the right profile to make the offensive department make a leap in quality,’ the report concluded.

LEIPZIG DESPERATE FOR LIVERPOOL DEAL

‘Concrete talks’ have taken place over the transfer of Liverpool midfielder Tyler Morton. RB Leipzig are pushing to finalise a deal for the 21-year-old midfielder, though Liverpool have no interest in the loan with an option to buy structure Leipzig have proposed. To ensure they don’t miss out, Leipzig could table an offer more suited to the Reds. (Sky Germany)

Man Utd have held exploratory talks with PSG over the transfer of midfielder Manuel Ugarte. However, claims the Red Devils have already submitted a bid are untrue. (Fabrizio Romano)

Newcastle are sizing up Juventus centre-back Federico Gatti and a bid in the €25m-€30m range would be enough to get Juve’s attention. (La Gazzetta dello Sport)

Real Madrid have given Liverpool the green light to sign talented playmaker, Arda Guler. However, Los Blancos will only sanction a six-month loan spell that runs until January. (Marca)

Joshua Kimmich’s chances of leaving Bayern Munich are rapidly increasing. The classy German ace has a shortlist of five clubs he’d be willing to sign for – Man City, Arsenal, Liverpool, Real Madrid and Barcelona. (Florian Plettenberg)

Atalanta are considering a loan with an obligation to buy approach for Galatasaray winger, Nicolo Zaniolo. (Rudy Galetti)

ARSENAL, TOTTENHAM MOVE FOR ITALY ACE

Arsenal and Tottenham are both ready to make firm moves for Bologna and Italy centre-back, Riccardo Calafiori. Bologna hope a bidding war will drive the price up towards €50m. (Tuttosport)

Barcelona hope to win the race for electric Spain winger Nico Williams by offering Inigo Martinez in a cash-plus-player deal. The bid would comprise €65m (two payments of €30m and €25m plus €10m in add-ons) plus Martinez as a makeweight. (AS)

Chelsea will activate the bargain €6m release clause in the contract of Barcelona striker, Marc Guiu. (Various)

AC Milan hope to become the third Italian giant to sign Chelsea misfit, Romelu Lukaku, though via the loan route and not outright as Chelsea would prefer. Belgium’s all-time leading scorer previously played for Inter Milan and Roma. (Gianluca Di Marzio)

Aston Villa are considering a move for 25-year-old Sporting Lisbon winger Pedro Goncalves. (A Bola)

Barcelona are emerging as a contender to sign Man Utd outcast Jadon Sancho on loan. United would prefer an outright sale, though aside from Borussia Dortmund, interest so far has been sparse. (Sport)

An alternative option on the flanks at Barcelona is Hull City winger Jaden Phiolgene. Given Barca’s financial woes, a move for the England U21 international would revolve around a loan with an option to buy. (Sport)

CHELSEA LEARN COST OF STRIKER SIGNING

Atletico Madrid will consider selling striker Samu Omorodion to Chelsea if they bid €60m. The Blues have already seen an offer worth €40m knocked back. (Marca)

Bayer Leverkusen centre-back Jonathan Tah is prioritising a transfer to Bayern Munich above all other suitors. (Fabrizio Romano)

Barcelona president Joan Laporta hopes to win another election through the promise of signing one of Erling Haaland or Julian Alvarez in 2025 or 2026. (Sport)

Dutch legend Ronald Koeman branded the defensive elements in the Netherlands’ 3-2 defeat to Austria “a disgrace”. The Netherlands have qualified for the knockout rounds at Euro 2024, though will now face a group winner after finishing third in Group D. (Ronald Koeman)

Bayern Munich are open to cashing in on France international Kingsley Coman with direct replacement Michael Olise soon to arrive from Crystal Palace. (BILD)

Tottenham playmaker Giovani Lo Celso remains a transfer target for Real Betis, though the club’s sporting director, Manu Fajardo, has described the chances of pulling off a deal as “remote.” (Manu Fajardo)