Manchester United confirm £36.5m signing of striker Joshua Zirkzee from Bologna

Manchester United have confirmed the signing of striker Joshua Zirkzee.

The club activated his release clause and have paid a slightly higher fee of £36.5m, as they are spreading that over three years.

Zirkzee has now completed the move from Bologna, signing a contract through to June 2029 with the option to extend by a further year.

He said: "Having had discussions with the manager and the leaders of the club I know how exciting the future is going to be here and I cannot wait to play my part in achieving success for Manchester United.

"I am a player who has always dedicated everything to winning; I’m ready for this next challenge, to go to another level in my career and win more trophies.

"It is a privilege to join such an iconic club. I have to take a short break now after being with the national team, but I’ll be coming back ready to make an impact straight away."

United made a striker one of their top transfer priorities, following Anthony Martial’s departure earlier in the summer, and Zirkzee will provide competition for Rasmus Hojlund, who scored 16 goals in all competitions in his first season in England.

Zirkzee signed for Bayern Munich from Feyenoord in 2017, moving to Bologna for a fee in the region of £7m five years later.

The striker was at Euro 2024 with the Netherlands, though played only a few minutes off the bench against Turkey and England.

Dan Ashworth, Manchester United’s sporting director, said: "Securing a forward to enhance our already strong group of attacking players was a key aim for this summer. We are delighted that we’ve managed to sign a player of Joshua’s calibre this early in the transfer window.

"Joshua is an outstanding talent who is ready to make an impact for Manchester United. His ability and desire to grow into a world-class player means that he will be a great addition to the squad that we are building for the exciting season ahead and beyond