Manchester United supporters have reacted with disbelief after it emerged just how substantial Everton’s deadline-day offer for Joshua Zirkzee actually was — and that the club turned it down regardless.
A Deadline Day Twist Nobody Saw Coming
Zirkzee had spent much of the summer being tipped for an Old Trafford exit after slipping down the pecking order, and he remained the subject of transfer talk right up until deadline day. In the end, though, he stayed put — despite Everton making a concrete approach for his services in the closing hours of the window.
The Dutch forward, who joined United from Bologna in a £36.5 million deal back in 2024, only became a target for the Toffees after their attempt to sign AS Monaco and USMNT striker Folarin Balogun collapsed. Balogun had reportedly gone as far as attending Everton’s training ground, but concerns that surfaced during his medical led the two clubs back to the negotiating table over the deal’s terms.
With that move stalling, Everton pivoted and explored taking Zirkzee on loan from United instead. According to David Ornstein of The Athletic, the striker himself was open to making the switch to Merseyside.
Just How Big Was the Offer?
Sky Sports’ senior football news editor, Lyall Thomas, reported that Everton were willing to pay a £10 million loan fee for Zirkzee and cover his entire wage bill for the duration of the loan — a striking outlay for a temporary deal. United, however, rejected the proposal outright, meaning Zirkzee will remain at the club until at least the January window, even though Benjamin Sesko, Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha and Marcus Rashford are all currently viewed as being ahead of him in United’s attacking order.
The decision left plenty of United supporters online questioning the logic behind it. One fan on X argued the call would look foolish if Zirkzee barely featured this season, while others pointed out how unusual it was to turn down a fee just to loan out a player who isn’t currently first choice, with some going as far as calling the decision baffling given the size of the offer on the table.
Everton’s Deadline Day Unravels
For Everton, missing out on both Balogun and Zirkzee capped off a chaotic end to the window. The Balogun deal had initially been restructured to include a lower fixed fee with higher performance-related bonuses, terms which Monaco had accepted, and a deal sheet was even lodged with the Premier League to allow negotiations to continue past the 11pm cut-off. Ultimately, though, it’s understood Balogun had a last-minute change of heart and left the training ground without putting pen to paper.
That collapse compounds an already difficult window up front for David Moyes’ side, who had already sold Beto to Fiorentina for £17 million and saw a separate approach for Aston Villa’s Tammy Abraham go nowhere. As things stand, Thierno Barry is Everton’s only recognised senior striker.
It wasn’t all bad news at Goodison Park, though. Jack Grealish arrived on loan from Manchester City, with Everton also bringing in Iliman Ndiaye from City in a separate £65 million deal, plus Ainsley Maitland-Niles from Lyon for £4 million following Nathan Patterson’s exit to Torino. Elsewhere, Tim Iroegbunam departed for newly promoted Hull City in a £15 million sale, while young prospect Harrison Armstrong came close to joining Nottingham Forest before Everton reversed course and kept him at the club.
What’s Next
Everton’s turbulent window is now behind them, at least until January — and their focus turns to Sunday’s Premier League fixture against Manchester United at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, a game that will carry an extra layer of intrigue given the deadline-day drama between the two clubs.