The Rossoneri's interest in Dutchman Zirkze is nothing new, with the Bologna striker scoring a 10-finger pass at the San Siro in a recent head-to-head Serie A tie between the two sides. He has made 23 appearances in all competitions so far this season, including 20 starts, and has an efficient record of nine goals and four assists.
Zirkze, who trained at Feyenoord as a teenager, was brought under Bayern Munich at an early age and grew up to be a member of the team's first team. However, due to fierce competition, he was unable to secure a stable place at the Allianz Arena and has been loaned out to Parma and Anderlecht for training in the past few seasons.
Until the summer of 2022, he went directly to Serie A side Bologna for 8.5 million euros, while Bayern Munich added a buyback option worth 40 million euros to the player's contract and could receive 50% of the Bologna's earnings. In his first season on the Apennine Peninsula, Zirkze did not perform as well as he should, handing over only two goals and two assists. Thankfully, with Motta's tactical system, he managed to make a career break this season.
AC Milan management Moncada and Franey both admire the characteristics of the Dutchman and believe that his mobility up front can bring enough improvement and help to the team. However, due to his excellent performances this season, Zirkze's value in the transfer market has increased significantly to 30 million euros. The Rossoneri will obviously have to pay a lot of money if they want to get him on the cards.
While Bologna don't mind pushing Zirkze into the transfer market, they obviously won't be asking too much for a portion of the proceeds from the deal as they need to give a portion of the proceeds from the deal to Bayern Munich. According to a report from Italy**, the Bologna has a psychological asking price of up to 60 million euros. The Rossoneri hope they can use Saale Markles for a swap deal in an attempt to reduce cash outlays. The Belgian is currently on loan at Bologna this season and has been an important part of the team's midfield rotation and has played 16 games in total.
However, the level of difficulty in negotiations is still very high, and there is no shortage of chasers in the transfer market. If the main target is missed, AC Milan will not miss another suitable opportunity to bring in a striker in the transfer market, as the Frenchman is already 37 years old and there is no clear progress in contract renewal talks between the two sides, and the player may choose to go to the MLS to continue his career.
There are three other important names on the Rossoneri's scouting team, namely Feyenoord's Gimenez, Lille's Jonathan David and RB Leipzig's Sesko. It is likely that the cost and difficulty of recruiting them will be lower than signing Zirkze from Bologna, although they are all at risk of adapting to the pace of the Serie A game.
The 22-year-old, who has dual Mexican and Italian citizenship, has shone in the Eredivisie this season, averaging one goal in less than 90 minutes and a terrifying efficiency. The Canadian international David has been the subject of AC Milan's long-term scrutiny, and his ability has long been fully recognized. The last goalscorer to be favoured by the Rossoneri was Leipzig's Sesko, who has no shortage of experience and ability to play an important role as a bridgehead.