Manchester United are thought to be advancing in talks to sign a new £30m forward target instead of Joshua Zirkzee, according to a new report.
Man Utd's links to Zirkzee
The Red Devils have a busy summer ahead of them, and Sir Jim Ratcliffe has recently admitted the club needs two or three summer windows to rebuild the squad, making comparisons to Real Madrid and their new signing Kylian Mbappe.
"I don't think the solution is to buy an Mbappe. We are more grassroots than that. One player is not going to solve the problem at Manchester United. The first thing we need to do is build a balanced squad and ultimately maybe top it off with one or two players like Mbappe. It will take two or three summer windows to get to a better place.
"If you compare, since the day that Sir Alex Ferguson and [former United chief executive] David Gill retired 11 seasons ago, Manchester United with Real Madrid, they have consistently performed well and performed where Manchester United should be performing today.
"The net spend on players at Manchester United is £1.1 billion and at Real Madrid, rather surprisingly, it's £200m. If you look at the squads of Real Madrid and United, Real Madrid have seven players that are valued at over €100 million if you look at Transfermarkt. United do not have any players over €70 million or €80 million."
One area where United and Erik ten Hag want to strengthen this summer is in attack, with Bologna striker Joshua Zirkzee heavily linked with a move to Old Trafford. In fact, reports have suggested that there is a good chance United can hijack AC Milan’s deal for the Netherlands international.
An alternative target is Lille’s Jonathan David, and with contact already made over a possible transfer, a new update has now emerged.
Jonathan David to Man Utd update
According to HITC, Man Utd are ‘advancing in talks’ to sign David this summer, with Old Trafford scouts eyeing the Canada international for 12 months.
Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Newcastle and West Ham are also credited with an interest, but it is only United who are advancing in discussions.
The report suggests that it looks to be one of David or Zirkzee at Old Trafford, saying: “The Red Devils have also engaged in talks with Bologna forward Joshua Zirkzee with HITC understanding that United want a ‘significant alternative’ to Rasmus Hojlund and both David and Zirkzee represent that.”
David is thought to be available for a fee in the region of £30m, with the 24-year-old currently at the Copa America with his nation but ready to depart his club with one year left on his deal.
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A move for either forward will be one to keep an eye on, with Zirkzee’s release clause slightly higher than £30m, so both attackers appear to be in the club’s price range.