Bayern Munich striker Joshua Zirkzee has admitted Everton ‘pressed hard’ to sign him before he joined the German champions.
Zirkzee has been with Bayern since 2017 when he joined their Under 17 side from Feyenoord’s youth set up in a £137,000 deal.
He’s since worked his way up through the club’s various youth ranks, eventually reaching the first team and earning his debut under Hansi Flick in December 2019.
He then found himself as a regular after that, going on to make 17 appearances for the first team and managing four goals and one assist before falling down the pecking order.
Last season saw him loan out to Parma, while this year, he’s moved to Belgium on loan with Anderlecht.
It’s been a roundabout journey for the 20-year-old so far, who has now revealed things could have been very different had he elected to accept Everton’s offer years before.
“I could have also gone to Everton, they pressed hard, but breaking through in England, that’s complex,” he told Het Laatste Nieuws.
“Bayern for me was… different. They wanted me very much; Feyenoord did not. Well…”
“With the U16, I had finished a strong season, I felt I should be rewarded for that – which did happen with teammates. However, the talks with the club management showed that I still had to be patient.
“Feyenoord was my club, but if it didn’t come, I had to consider other options. Bayern made great efforts. Who would say no then?”
