After making the new coach Paulo Fonseca official, the Rossoneri are on the hunt for reinforcements. After an excellent season with Bologna, featuring 12 goals and seven assists in 37 appearances, Milan have identified the young Dutchman Joshua Zirkzee as a natural replacement for the departing Olivier Giroud: let’s find out the latest news on the deal.
Ibrahimovic has shown himself willing to pay the release clause to win the services of the attacker now involved in the European Championships after the last second call to replace Brobbey. However, the transfer operation involving Milan and Zirkzee has become an emblematic case of the modern dynamics of the transfer market, in particular regarding the role and influence of agents in negotiations. The issue of the commissions requested by Zirkzee’s agents has raised quite a bit of controversy, with figures hovering around 15 million euros, a sum that the Rossoneri club does not seem willing to pay.
The inclusion of Manchester United, the latest on Milan and Zirkzee
The negotiation for Zirkzee, which seemed to be on the right track, encountered obstacles due to the commissions requested by the agent and Milan’s desire not to give in to such exorbitant requests, considered excessive. This stalemate has created an opportunity for Manchester United to step in and present a concrete offer. Zirkzee’s release clause, set at 40 million euros, represents a significant investment, but Milan are willing to meet this request, adding around ten million euros in fees. The agreement reached with the player for the salary is 5 million euros per year for 5 years: figures that reflect the importance that the Rossoneri club attributes to the Dutch striker. United seems willing to sink the blow in the case, being able to guarantee the attacker international visibility, a large salary and the possibility of competing in what is defined as the best league in the world.
Milan: no blackmail from agents
Over the years, there have been several market operations that have not been successful due to the commissions requested by the agents. Among the names that we could have seen in the Rossoneri shirt this year include the French striker Marcus Thuram who has found a home in Milan, the Nerazzurri’s side and author of an excellent season. Another failed move due to commissions is Arda Guler, a young Turkish talent who yesterday scored with his national team against Georgia and then ended up at Real Madrid. The same goes for the Argentine midfielder Enzo Fernandez, who could have been a Rossoneri footballer, and then landed in Lisbon, a city that opened the doors of the Premier League to him in a very short time.
A football problem
In the crisis that our football is going through, commissions to agents represent a real problem: it is estimated that in the last 10 years, the total amount of expenses paid by clubs to agents in the form of commissions has even tripled. (source Calcio e Finanza). In a system increasingly in crisis, Milan’s desire not to give in to paying commissions considered excessive is precisely in line with a financial plan that attempts to combine sporting competitiveness and economic solidity.
