Bayern Munich star confirms Joshua Zirkzee tried to get him to sign for Manchester United

Callum McAvoyPublished Sep 7, 2024, 1:52pm|Updated Sep 7, 2024, 1:53pm

Joshua Zirkzee tried to get former teammate Jamal Musiala to join him at Manchester United over the summer, the Bayern Munich star has confirmed.

United signed Zirkzee from Bologna for around £36million back in July and he’s already made a great impression, scoring the late winner against Fulham on his debut.

Prior to his stint in Serie A, the forward spent five years in Munich where he came through the youth ranks alongside Musiala and formed a great friendship with the German superstar.

While the two have long gone their separate ways on the pitch, off it they remain close and were even pictured holidaying together over the summer following their participation in Euro 2024.

As a result, in a footage that went viral on social media, one Red Devils fan cheekily asked Zirkzee: ‘Can you tell Musiala to join United?’, while getting an autograph from the new signing.

The Dutchman laughed and responded: ‘I’ve tried, I’ve tried,’ and it seems he wasn’t lying, as Musiala has now confirmed the two did jokingly discuss a transfer to Old Trafford.

‘You always joke around with friends and dream of playing together in a team one day,’ the 21-year-old told German newspaper Welt am Sonntag.

‘The jokes go both ways. I also told Josh that he should come back to Bayern. But you shouldn’t take that too seriously.’

One of the best young players in the world, Musiala has already scored 44 goals and made 31 assists in 166 appearances for Bayern.

Largely considered Germany’s best player, the attacking midfielder could have represented England and spent time in Southampton and Chelsea’s academies.

He would no doubt have been an incredible signing for United but the chances of him leaving Munich would appear to be almost zero, even with just two years left on his contract.

‘I am very happy at FC Bayern and fully focused on our goals with the club and the national team,’ Musiala added when asked about his future.

‘I don’t think too much about where I will be playing in five years. Things can always change quickly in the world of football.’

In the meantime, Zirkzee is currently on international duty with the Netherlands and should be back in action for United on September 14 when they travel to Southampton.

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