The main way Manchester United benefit from a Joshua Zirkzee transfer

July 9, 2024

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The main way Manchester United benefit from a Joshua Zirkzee transfer

Manchester United have been pushing hard to sign Dutch striker Joshua Zirkzee from Bologna in a transfer that could cost the club 40 million euros, per his release clause.

Previously, Zirkzee was linked with a move to AC Milan, who are looking for a new striker to replace Olivier Giroud. However, the Milan trailed has cooled, with the deal reportedly collapsing.

That has cleared the runway for Manchester United to sign one of the most coveted strikers on the summer 2024 transfer market, as The Athletic’s Laurie Whitwell reports that there is now an agreement between Zirkzee and Man United on a five-year contract.

On paper, Zirkzee doesn’t look like the most impressive striker in the world, because he only scored 11 goals with 4 assists last season. That doesn’t seem like a massive breakout at all, and, in fact, his numbers are worse than Genoa’s breakout star Albert Gudmundsson.

But the numbers hide the impact Zirkzee had on Bologna’s success as a team, as the Rossoblu defied odds by finishing fifth in Serie A, just one point behind Atalanta for a Champions League place.

As much as the spotlight has been placed on Bologna defender Riccardo Calafiori, who appears headed to United rivals Arsenal, Zirkzee may have had the most profound impact on the Rossoblu’s success because of his all-around style at striker.

It is rare to find a 6’4″ striker who can move with the grace and agility of Zirkzee, who made the likes of Bologna veteran Riccardo Orsolini that much more effective with his lay-offs and willingness to run the wings.

As Whitwell reports, Manchester United thusly don’t see Zirkzee as solely a 9, but rather someone who can play across the entire attack, which is important since the club invested even more money in a more athletic striker from Serie A last summer, former Atalanta star Rasmus Hojlund.

Furthermore, Manchester United want Zirkzee to help them get more out of their other attacking players, and, evidently, Erik ten Hag wants to have a fluid and interchangeable attack when taking full stock of the personnel.

In theory, Manchester United could start Marcus Rashford on the left in what could be a do-or-die season for the former England phenom. Hojlund would then play in the middle with Zirkzee acting as a support striker on the right.

Then, Man United can utilize Bruno Fernandes in the No. 10 role as the man linking the attacks together, with Alejandro Garnacho potentially getting more starts as his own development progresses.

The issue Manchester United run into is that they could risk becoming too narrow if they start Rashford and Zirkzee on either side of Hojlund, but that’s where Zirkzee’s wrinkle comes in.

What makes Zirkzee so different – and likely so appealing to Man United – is that he can split wide from central striking positions, even as he is not afraid to mix it up in the ruckus of a crowded penalty area.

Zirkzee frequently created chances off the dribble for teammates, and he was known for moving to the right and shifting right-footed crosses into the area, striking them on the ground across the face of the six-yard box.

Although the comparisons to Roberto Firmino are too flattering and miss the technical detail and flair Firmino provided to Hoffenheim as an actual Champions League side before moving to Liverpool, they are not the most off-base either.

Zirkzee has the aerial ability with his height, but he is also a great passer and honestly has a more expansive passing range than Firmino did, in keeping up with the comparison.

Where Zirkzee will help Manchester United the most is as a versatile, chance-creating forward who can progress play just as well as he can score goals.

Perhaps Man United should be prioritizing a more robust and experienced goal-scorer next to Hojlund, but United have every reason to believe that the Danish international can become that main man up top.

So why not sign someone who can work with him for a decade and develop together with him? Manchester United might as well immerse themselves in an actual project, rather than overpaying for underwhelming stopgap “solutions” in the name of chasing “goals” (cough, Cristiano Ronaldo, cough, Wout Weghorst, cough).

Zirkzee is only 23 years old and comes at a reasonable price at 40 million euros, compared to the legitimately available striker options on the summer 2024 transfer market.

There is a lens under which Zirkzee seems underwhelming, but when you broaden the view from goals and look at how he played in the context of the success Bologna achieved against the odds, you can begin to appreciate how he might help a Manchester United side that has been on the opposite side of the spectrum as a team – an organization consistently falling below their standard.