Joshua Zirkzee, a striker for Bologna, has said he would be enticed by the possibility to play with Vincent Kompany again at Burnley, a Premier League newbie.
Since taking over at Turf Moor from Sean Dyche, Kompany has mostly focused on signing players he knows and trusts.
During his stint in the Belgian top division, the former Manchester City player competed against players like Manuel
Benson, Vitinho, and Anass Zaroury while working with Josh Cullen at Anderlecht.
Earlier this month, Burnley made a $12 million offer for Cullen’s old Anderlecht teammate Bart Verbruggen. After the
Championship champions lost both Ashley Barnes and top scorer Nathan Tella, another player who played under Kompany
at the RSCA Stadium, Joshua Zirkzee, may have also crossed his mind.
“Has Kompany called yet? No, although I am in contact with many other Burnley staff,” Zirkzee smiles, in conversation
with Het Nieuwsblad. “Not necessarily about a transfer.
However, if Vinny calls, it might open a door for me to enter.
The now-22-year-old former Bayern Munich prodigy made his move to Serie A last year for a reported £7 million cost. But with just two in 19 games, he found it more difficult to score in the red and blue of Bologna.
Zirkzee’s lackluster performance in Italy has undoubtedly subdued interest in a striker who twice turned down a move to Everton.
Reporter Souleyman Ozturk of Voetbal International stated of a striker linked to Fulham, Newcastle United, and West Ham last summer: “Zirkzee is better than Erling Haaland at everything.”
“Now, you might be shocked by this statement. However, I’ll frame it. (Zirkzee) possesses strength, technique, charisma, flare, and footballing talent. So in practically everything, he is superior to Haaland.
Imagine Zirkzee had Haaland’s drive and concentration. He would then be the world’s top striker.
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Sunderland ‘reject’ improved £10m bid from Premier League side for Jack Clarke
Sunderland have turned down an improved £10m bid from Burnley for winger Jack Clarke, according to a report. Journalist
Alan Nixon of the Sun on Sunday is reporting that the Clarets have made a second attempt to prise the 22-year-old away
from the Black Cats, having failed with a £7m bid earlier this month.
Vincent Kompany’s side won promotion from the Championship last season and are looking for reinforcements ahead of
their Premier League campaign. And Clarke’s stellar season with Sunderland as the Wearsiders reached the play-offs in their
first season back in the second tier after winning promotion from League One has not gone unnoticed.
Clarke, who joined Sunderland from Spurs on a permanent basis last summer after spending the second half of the previous
season on loan with the Black Cats, scored nine league goals and contributed 11 assists. It is no surprise that Clarke has
attracted interest, although Burnley are so far the only club to have made a firm offer.
But Sunderland have no intention of allowing him to leave on the cheap. Burnley’s initial bid fell way below the Black Cats’
valuation and, while the reported £10m now on the table – which would be paid in instalments – is an improvement,
Sunderland will point to the fact that Clarke moved from Leeds to Spurs for a fee in excess of £10m at just 18 years of age
when he had only made 25 appearances.
Since then, he has gone on to win international honours at U20 level with England, and become a Championship regular
with Sunderland, playing in all-but one league game last season. With Clarke under contract until 2026, Sunderland are
under no pressure to sell, and the fact that the deal which brought him to the North East is believed to include a substantial
sell-on clause which would see part of any fee go to Spurs would also have to be taken into account in any valuation.
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