AC Milan have La Liga top scorer as Zirkzee alternative

AC Milan are in talks to sign Joshua Zirkzee but the Rossoneri have a plan B if negotiations for the Dutch striker fail.

The top priority of AC Milan this summer will be to sign one important player for the attack. Zlatan Ibrahimovic confirmed in a recent interview that the Rossoneri want to complete the signing of a new striker before moving to other positions. It is no secret that the Netherlands international Joshua Zirkzee is the chosen one to lead the AC Milan attack for next season after a great spell with Bologna.

Zirkzee was one of the main contributors in an unprecedented campaign for Bologna that guaranteed them Champions League football for next season. Joshua Zirkzee is not the typical number 9 that scores a big number of goals but the Rossoneri are convinced he can improve a lot in terms of goal scoring capabilities at San Siro. The young striker ended the season with 12 goals and 7 assists in 37 appearances with Bologna. While his most productive campaign was two years ago when he scored 18 goals in Belgium with Anderlecht.

AC Milan have already informed Bologna they intend to activate the €40 million release clause. Personal terms are also agreed with Zirkzee over a five-year contract at €4.5 million per season. However, everything is in stand-by due to disagreements with his agent regarding transfer commissions. Kia Joorabchian, the agent of Joshua Zirkzee, is asking a high fee of €15 million as commission. The Rossoneri, who have traditionally stayed away for paying high commission fees, have offered up to €8 million but don’t seem willing to go beyond as confirmed by Ibrahimovic.

If the position of either party does not change soon there is a high risk that the transfer of Zirkzee may fall through and the Rossoneri have already a plan B. AC Milan are oriented towards Artem Dovbyk if Zirkzee does not arrive. The 26-year-old Ukrainian striker excelled in his first season for Girona. The Spanish side surprised everyone with fast paced exciting football and Artem Dovbyk was their diamond tip in attack.

Dovbyk has the same release clause as Zirkzee, meaning €40 million. However, in this case, the agent commission is much more favorable. Having scored 53 goals in 84 appearances with Dnipro, Dovbyk’s transition to Spain was flawless. Dovbyk scored 24 goals in 36 appearances with Girona and was the top scorer of La Liga for the season that just ended. He also assisted 8 times and was involved in almost 40% of his team’s goals. Sensational numbers for a player that had only joined Girona one year ago.

AC Milan are great admirers of Artem Dovbyk who is the typical target man. The 26-year-old makes the most movements behind the defensive line and best exploits the imbalances of rival defenders. A very aggressive striker who continuously strides for goals. He plays an active role in both the build-up and execution of offensive plays which can make him a perfect partner for Leao and Pulisic.

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