According to Gazzetta dello Sport, Juventus are pushing forward with a deal between Zirkzee and David, with Manchester United having agreed to loan out the former, but the Canadian striker's future remains an obstacle.
Juventus are taking another step closer to signing Zirkzee, while Jonathan David seems increasingly distant from the Bianconeri. One could come in, the other could go out, and even his on-field position might need adjustment: in yesterday's friendly against Chelsea in Hong Kong, the Canadian was substituted half an hour into the second half, a move pre-arranged by Juventus' fitness team. That was post-World Cup playing time management, not a transfer arrangement.
Many national team players, including McKennie and Conceição, didn't even play, only watching from the sidelines. More like a transfer preview, another center forward will likely take over after David's departure, which may happen in the coming weeks and could be a foreshadowing of the Continasa training ground's design.
Following Zirkzee's nod, Manchester United have shown signs of softening their stance in the past few hours. It's not yet time for a fire sale at Old Trafford, but the club is willing to sit down and discuss a loan deal for the former Bologna striker with Juventus' management.
The deal is stuck on the "details"—whether it's a buy-out, a mandatory buy-out, or a pure loan, the impact on Juventus's balance sheet will be completely different—but in Continassa, optimism is rising.
Zirkzee isn't the traditional penalty area striker Luciano Spalletti publicly named, but considering his quality, international experience, and price, he could be a rare opportunity. There aren't many strikers who truly fit the "Juventus standard," and they're all quite expensive.
Massara had made every effort to sign Zirkzee last winter while still working in Rome. That deal, which failed in Rome, may now be completed in Turin. The prerequisite is that Juventus acquire the player on a pure loan and persuade David to reconsider his summer plans, wanting a change of scenery just 12 months after joining Juventus as a free agent.
The last few checkpoints
Yes, two more pieces of the puzzle need to be pieced together before Juventus can give the green light. One is convincing the Red Devils to accept an "almost pure loan" deal with no obligation to buy; the other could be a similar arrangement to Rashford's loan to Barcelona – the Catalan club didn't retain the English player after the season – or a structure like Hoylen's loan to Napoli last summer: where the buy-out obligation was tied to specific performances by the player and the club. Negotiations are still ongoing between Torino and Manchester, while the future of David remains uncertain.
Juventus highly values David, both as a player and as a professional, but if Zirkzee can be loaned out, such an opportunity may only come once, and Massara doesn't want to miss it.
