Manchester United has successfully completed the signing of Joshua Zirkzee from Bologna for €42.5 million, marking him as their first new addition under the joint ownership of Sir Jim Ratcliffe. Earlier this year, Sir Jim Ratcliffe acquired a 27.7% stake in MU from the Glazers. While full ownership rights are pending, this agreement allows the British billionaire to take charge of football operations at Old Trafford.

In less than six months, Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his team have swiftly restructured MU’s leadership with CEO Omar Berrada and Sporting Director Dan Ashworth. This new leadership made an immediate impact in the summer 2024 transfer window by facilitating the unexpected acquisition of Joshua Zirkzee.

MU not only negotiated quickly but also secured the promising Dutch star at a relatively low cost. Joshua Zirkzee earned high praise after helping Bologna achieve a top-four finish in Serie A last season and qualify for their inaugural Champions League campaign. Initially valued between €60 to €70 million by experts, MU secured his signature for €42.5 million, outbidding competitors like Arsenal and AC Milan.

In reality, Joshua Zirkzee’s release clause was €40 million, but MU opted to pay an additional €2.5 million to Bologna, payable over three years. Should the contract be terminated, MU would owe the full €40 million immediately to Bologna.

With a five-year contract, Joshua Zirkzee becomes MU’s first signing of the summer 2024 and the first under Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s ownership. Joshua Zirkzee progressed through the ADO Den Haag academy before joining Feyenoord at 15. A year later, he moved to Bayern Munich, making his Bundesliga debut at 17 and impressing with four goals in nine appearances during the 2019/20 season. Despite this, he struggled for regular first-team opportunities at Allianz Arena and subsequently had loan spells at Parma and Anderlecht.

In summer 2022, Bayern Munich sold Joshua Zirkzee to Bologna for €8.5 million plus a clause entitling them to 50% of any future transfer fee for the striker. Consequently, Bayern Munich stands to earn up to €21 million from Joshua Zirkzee’s transfer to MU.