According to Italian media outlet Sport, Inter Milan are very interested in Bologna striker Zirkze, but the Nerazzurri will also have great difficulty signing the player, in addition to the high asking price of their parent club, they also face fierce competition from their rivals AC Milan.
In the Milan derby that ended last weekend, Inter Milan won 2-1 against AC Milan to make it six wins in a row. More crucially, the Nerazzurri also stepped on the shoulders of their opponents to win the title early and successfully embroidered two stars on the chest of their shirts.
While Inter were still partying all over the city, AC Milan were once again competing with the Nerazzurri in the transfer market, and they planned to cut off Inter's long-standing Bologna striker Zirkze, giving Inter a major blow while strengthening their own forward strength.
Zirkze is a rising star in Serie A this season, having moved to Bologna from Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich for €8.5 million in August 2022. So far this season, Zirkze has made 33 appearances for the team in all competitions, scoring 11 goals and providing four assists. In particular, in the last round against Roma, Zirkze sent one goal and one assist to help Bologna win 3-1, thus securing the team in fourth place in Serie A.
It is worth mentioning that Zirkze is 1.93 meters tall and can play both as a center forward and as a fulcrum for the team, as well as a shadow striker, and even retreat to the midfield to take the ball and organize the attack. It is reported that Zirkze's shooting skills are also relatively comprehensive, especially the first touch of the ball is extremely strong, and he is also good at heading the goal.
Inter Milan parted ways with Dzeko and Romelu Lukaku last summer, although the team signed Thuram Jr. as a stand-in. Unfortunately, although the French striker performed well, he could not play the role of holding the ball with his back in the opponent's penalty area wearing the No. 9 shirt, which was one of the most important reasons why Inter Milan stopped in the last 16 of the Champions League.
In preparation for next season's Champions League and Club World Cup, Inter's management believe that signing Porto striker Taremi is not enough, and they hope to sign a real number nine to make up for the Nerazzurri's forward shortcomings. Clearly, Zirkze is clearly one of Inter's team directors Marotta's favourite.
Former Inter president Moratti was also full of praise for Zirkze in an interview with the media, saying that the Bologna striker has very good mobility and can even dictate the rhythm of the team, and is a "fantastic player".
To tell the truth, although Inter is very interested in Zirkze, Bologna's offer of up to 70 million euros is still very embarrassing for Marotta, and with Inter's current financial situation, it is almost impossible to come up with this huge amount of money.
However, the situation is different for AC Milan, whose main striker Olivier Giroud is likely to leave for MLS this summer, and the previously brought in Divock Origi, although also a serious centre-forward, shows from his loan experience this season that he is not to be trusted. As a result, AC Milan's management want to do everything in their power to sign Zirkze to meet their forward needs.
What is certain is that after Giroud leaves AC Milan, they can free up plenty of space and salary space. Therefore, the Rossoneri are still very confident in signing Zirkze, at least they have a financial advantage over Inter.
However, Inter Milan also has its own magic weapon to defeat the enemy in the transfer market, and that is Marotta. Milan had previously competed for Taremi, but Inter with Marotta emerged victorious.
Although it will be very difficult for Inter to pursue Zirkze, we still have to believe that Marotta will surprise Inter fans.
Combined with the analysis of the Italian media and some transfer experts, Marotta is likely to adopt a three-step strategy.
The first is to use some of the cash plus Fabian, Emiliani and even Carboni as bargaining chips to impress Bologna.
The second is to use a certain salary and Inter's prestige to convince Zirkze and bring him back to Meazza.
Thirdly, it is likely that Thuram Jr. will be sold to gain financial support and promise the player a key position.