English Premier League giants Manchester United have officially announced the arrival of Joshua Zirkzee as their first summer signing, reports Soccernet.ng.

The Red Devils managed to sign the 22-year-old attacker from Bologna for an amount of around €42 million. Zirkzee will remain at Old Trafford until June 2029.

Zirkzee, the 2023/24 Serie A Under-23 Player of the Year, was Bologna FC’s top scorer last season and played a crucial role in securing a place in the UEFA Champions League.

Speaking to Erik ten Hag and other top executives at the Manchester club, Zirkzee expressed his enthusiasm for continuing his career in England despite missing out on the Champions League.

“After speaking with the manager and the club leaders, I know how exciting the future is going to be here and I can’t wait to play my part in bringing success to Manchester United,” Zirkzee said, per the club’s official website. “I am a player who has always given everything to win.”

Zirkzee, born to a Dutch father and a Nigerian mother, is eligible to play for the Nigeria Super Eagles. He previously acknowledged the conditions under which he could choose to represent Nigeria.

“That’s not easy to say. If the Netherlands doesn’t call, I’ll choose Nigeria. Do they even call? Maybe. Nigeria is not a country you just choose because you can’t play for your home country. The competition for attackers there is perhaps just as big as in the Dutch national team. Nigeria has Boniface from Leverkusen and Osimhen from Napoli. And they have many more attackers,” said Zirkzee, quoted by the Algemeen Dagblad.

Zirkzee will have played for the Netherlands twice at the 2024 European Championship. One more appearance will definitely affect his chances of representing his mother’s country.