Newcastle now ready to battle Manchester United for ‘extraordinary’ £34m player

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Newcastle United are reportedly ready to battle the likes of Manchester United for Bologna striker Joshua Zirkzee.

The 22-year-old attacker has been a revelation for the Serie A side this season, with Zirkzee bagging eight goals and four assists for Bologna in all competitions.

Having once been a wonderkid at Bayern Munich, Zirkzee is now starting to realise his potential in Italy under Thiago Motta, who recently lauded the Dutch youth international as an ‘extraordinary’ player.

And according to TuttoBolognaWeb, Newcastle are now interested in signing Zirkzee, with the Magpies already facing competition from the likes of United, AC Milan and Juventus, as well as Napoli.

With a reported release clause worth €40m (£34m), it would take quite the financial effort from the likes of Newcastle to sign Zirkzee this month.

Moreover, with Bayern having their own separate clause to sign Zirkzee for as little as €20m (£17m), the race to sign the Dutch youngster could become trivial if the German giants enter the fray.

Newcastle and Manchester United could both miss out on Joshua Zirkzee

Zirkzee has been one of the standout youngsters in Serie A this season, with Newcastle and United’s interest in the striker more than justified.

Yet with Bayern having such a cheap option to bring the 22-year-old back to Bavaria, it seems like only a matter of time before the reigning Bundesliga champions pull the trigger on Zirkzee.

After all, Thomas Tuchel’s side could do with an understudy to Harry Kane, and bringing Zirkzee back could be a smart option from Bayern in 2024.

As a result, the likes of Newcastle and United shouldn’t get too comfortable about the idea of signing Zirkzee, with Bayern always lurking in the woods for the Dutch talent.