The Salary of Joshua Zirkzee: The Netherland’s Young Striker of Nigerian Descent

In just two full seasons in Serie A, Joshua Zirkzee has returned to the radar of top clubs and has already made strides towards joining the top five Italian clubs. The striker could have easily represented Nigeria, but chose to wait for the Dutch invitation. He has made it into the Netherlands national team, securing a spot in the squad for Euro 2024. Kick Off Nigeria looks into the player’s finances. 

What is Joshua Zirkzee’s Salary at Bologna FC 1909?

The Netherlands striker with Nigerian roots joined the Bologna in the summer of 2022, with a contract running until June 30, 2026. For the remaining two years in Italy, the player will earn €2,300,000 excluding bonuses. In the 2023/2024 season, Zirkzee earned €1,150,000, which amounts to €22,115 per week.

Team Salary Overview: Zirkzee Among the Top Three Highest-Paid U23 Players 

In the 2023/2024 season, Bologna FC 1909’s total salary expenditure amounts to €27,420,000 per year, or €527,308 per week. The highest-paid player on the team is winger Riccardo Orsolini, who earns €3,700,000 per year: €71,154 per week.

Joshua Zirkzee ranks ninth in the salary ranking. He holds the seventh spot among foreign players at the Italian club. Additionally, he is the second highest-paid player under 23 at Bologna FC 1909. The next player, winger Dan Ndoye, earns €120,000 less.

Career Salary Comparison

After a strong start in the main squad of FC Bayern Munich, the striker went on loan twice, where his salary nearly doubled, reaching the highest level in his career. However, after signing with Bologna FC 1909, Zirkzee’s earnings decreased by almost 1.5 times.

Market Value: Rapid Growth in Just One Season

Debuting for FC Bayern Munich’s senior team in the 19/20 season, the Dutchman with Nigerian roots scored several key goals and won all trophies, including the Champions League. This increased his transfer value by nine times. 

However, in the following season, Joshua Zirkzee rarely took the field. A loan spell in Italy did not help him rehabilitate: he got injured, and his transfer value decreased by a million euros. However, at R.S.C. Anderlecht, the player did not miss a single match and became the top scorer, increasing his value by nearly 1.5 times.

The first season after moving to Bologna FC 1909 was a failure: only 2 goals and a drop in value by 2 million euros. However, in the 23/24 season, the striker scored 12 goals and provided 7 assists, becoming the top scorer. This increased his transfer value by more than 5.5 times, reaching its peak. Currently, Transfermarkt values the Dutch winger with Nigerian roots at €50 million. This is the highest figure among Bologna FC 1909 players and the fifth among Dutch players.

Achievements with the National Team

With Nigerian roots, Joshua Zirkzee had the opportunity to represent the African national team at the international level. However, in the spring of 2016, the striker debuted for the Netherlands youth team. In 2023, he played with the U-21 team at the European Youth Championship. The Dutch team did not advance from the group stage in that tournament.

Zirkzee received a call-up to the Netherlands senior team only in the summer of 2024, replacing the injured Frenkie de Jong and Teun Koopmeiners in the Euro squad. To date, the striker has not yet played for the senior team.

Prospects

According to several media, AC Milan has already agreed on contract terms with Joshua Zirkzee and is ready to pay a transfer fee of €40 million for the striker. However, a potential obstacle to the player’s transfer to the new club could be his representative, Kia Joorabchian: the Milan club does not want to pay him an additional sum. 

Nevertheless, despite interest from Manchester United, Zirkzee is likely to stay in Italy: the player believes this will help his further development. A possible debut for the national team and good performance at the Euro will surely expedite his potential move to the top Italian club.