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Recent reports have surfaced suggesting Bayern Munich’s Joshua Zirkzee is ready and willing to commit to a loan move to Bundesliga rivals Eintracht Frankfurt. According to Sky Germany, Zirkzee wants to push for a winter move to Frankfurt because he’s not really getting any playing time being behind Robert Lewandowski and Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting in Hansi Flick’s pecking order of outright strikers.
Sky’s transfer expert Max Bielefeld, “He wants to go there. For the player, it is definitely not an option to stay with Bayern until the summer.” Sky goes on to report that Frankfurt can definitely imagine Zirkzee coming to the club on loan, but they want to be certain of planning security so that all of the potential loan or transfer conditions would be 100% clear for both Bayern and Frankfurt. At this point, the ball is in Bayern’s court and the front office will have to decide whether or not it is in the club’s best interest to let Zirkzee go, at least for a season-long loan spell with a permanent purchase option.
Update Zirkzee: Frankfurt still wants Joshua this January and the player would be happy to join @Eintracht. But: Everybody is waiting for @FCBayern to take a decision. Would they accept a loan or would they rather sell him to make some money? Answer still pending! #TransferUpdate https://t.co/Y1S6spU0Fq
— Max Bielefeld (@Sky_MaxB) January 7, 2021
Contrary to Sky’s report, in his press conference previewing Bayern’s encounter with Borussia Monchengladbach, Flick said he is planning on having Zirkzee in the squad for at least the next six months. He said the same goes for Javi Martinez, who’s also been linked with a summer move away from Bayern (Tz): “I am not aware of anything. I have not heard from either side, that is, Javi Martínez and Joshua Zirkzee. I assume that they will be in the squad for the next six months. I am currently not aware of any player wanting to leave the club. But things can happen quickly in football, of course. Joshua Zirkzee is of enormous quality and can develop well. He was four or five weeks out of training. He will train with the professionals, but should show his strengths with the U23. He’s supposed to help her win the games when he’s there.”
While the report from Sky contrasts what Flick is saying, it’s clear that Zirkzee feels a move is the best option for his future. Bayern’s front office will really need to sit down and decide whether or not loaning him or selling him would be feasible at this time. There are a lot of moving parts to consider; squad planning, post-COVID finances, and squad depth just to name a few.