With Robert Lewandowski fighting tooth and nail to free himself from the final 12 months of his Bayern Munich contract, it may have come as a bit of a surprise to learn that Joshua Zirkzee was training alone at the club’s Sabener Strasse training ground this week (Sport1).
Alongside the eternal benchwarmer that is Eric-Maxim Choupo-Moting, Zirkzee is the only other centre-forward at Julian Nagelsmann’s disposal. What’s more, he returns to Bavaria off the back of an 18-goal loan spell at Anderlecht in Belgium.
But while Bayern are refusing to budge on Lewandowski – batting away Barcelona’s very public admiration of the always-prolific Pole with increasing levels of disdain – the Bundesliga champions clearly aren’t going to force Zirkzee to stay against his will too.
The Dutch U21 international was absent as Bayern’s first-team squad began pre-season preparations this week. Even an outstanding spell across the border in Belgium, it seems, is not enough to secure Zirkzee a fresh start under Nagelsmann.
Newcastle United could rescue Joshua Zirkzee from Bayern Munich
“I don’t think it makes much sense to go back to Bayern,” the one-time Everton target said recently. “After a season in which I’ve played a lot. I just want to play.”
According to Het Laaste Nieuws, Newcastle United are ready to offer Zirkzee a fresh start and a new challenge. After finally giving up the ghost with Hugo Ekitike, 21-year-old Zirkzee appears to have been identified as a centre-forward of similar promise and potential.
He might have slipped down the pecking order at Bayern but there was a time when the silky centre-forward – labelled ‘deadly’ by Joshua Kimmich – was making match-winning contributions in the heart of a title battle under Hansi Flick.
Anderlecht close in on Wolves youngster Fabio Silva
Zirkzee’s agent indicated a couple of weeks ago that a prolonged stay at Anderlecht’s Lotto Park was on the cards.
“Joshua feels at home at Anderlecht,” he said. “This loan has clearly been the best possible step for Joshua. He could therefore also be sure of his place at Anderlecht next season and could perhaps play European football.”
But with Wolves’ Fabio Silva now on his way to Brussels instead, per Fabrizio Romano, the door to Lotto Park looks closed as far as Zirkzee is concerned.
But as one door closes, they say, another opens. Potentially, one that leads to St James’ Park.
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