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Man Utd transfer mission accomplished as €40m offer made
Robin Bairner
- Updated: 22 Dec 2025 11:27 GMT
- 4 min read
News
Manchester United’s first major piece of January transfer business is close to completion, with Roma close to securing the signature of Joshua Zirkzee from the Red Devils.
Zirkzee has struggled to make the impact he would have wished at Old Trafford since arriving at the club in a €42.5 million deal from Bologna in the summer of 2024.
The Netherlands international attacker has eight goals and three assists in 60 appearances for the club, but he has become ever more peripheral under Ruben Amorim.
Current ETV
Joshua Zirkzee
F (C)
Man Utd
Joshua Zirkzee
F (C)
Man Utd
ETV Range
€32.4M - €39.6M
While Man Utd have not seen the best of the 24-year-old, they are at least set to limit the damage that his signing did by recouping the vast majority of his transfer fee.
Roma have long established themselves as favourites to land the Dutchman and have made an attractive €40m bid for him.
The Giallorossi will sign him on loan for €5m, with an option to buy in the summer for €30m. On top of this, Roma will pay Man Utd a further €5m should they qualify for the Champions League, Il Messaggero reports.
This is an excellent scenario for Man Utd, who will be able to record a profit in their accounts for the player. Signed on a five-year deal, €12.75m of his transfer fee has been amortised, meaning he will go down as a €10.75m profit in the books should all these bonus payments be met.
The deal has not been accepted by Man Utd, and may hinge on Amorim finding a replacement, but financially this is a dream offer for the Old Trafford side.
Man Utd's profit on Joshua Zirkzee
| Transfer fee | €42.5m |
| Contract length | 5 years |
| Approx fee amortised (as of Jan 2026) | €12.75 |
| Outstanding money owed to Bologna | €29.75m |
| Proposed Roma fee (total) | €40m |
| PROFIT | €10.75m |
Zirkzee in, Ferguson out at Roma?
Roma boss Gian Piero Gasperini sent out a positive message to Zirkzee following last weekend’s loss to Juventus as he publicly called out on-loan Brighton forward Evan Ferguson in his post-match assessment of the loss.
Asked why the 21-year-old was left on the bench to start the game, he said: “Ferguson isn’t convincing me. Even in the second half, for a long time. He hasn’t quite got into the swing of things yet, along with others. But we have a very solid team. Dybala and Soule were served very well and have superior technical quality. I would make the same decisions again.”
Zirkzee’s arrival from Man Utd could well signal the end of Ferguson at Roma, with Celtic thought to be one of the leading contenders to sign the Ireland international star.
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