Manchester United are reportedly leading the race to sign Bologna forward Joshua Zirkzee despite interest from Premier League rivals Arsenal.
The Red Devils have struggled for goals in what has been a poor 2023/24 campaign thus far. Only Crystal Palace, Sheffield United and Burnley have scored fewer times than Erik ten Hag’s side in the Premier League. While the club are currently in the hunt for a proven goalscorer on loan due to financial constraints, they have simultaneously started planning for the summer transfer window following the arrival of Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS as minority owners.
According to The Sun, Manchester United have held formative talks with Bologna over a potential summer deal for Joshua Zirkzee.
Zirkzee, 22, rose through the youth system at Bayern Munich but struggled to make the breakthrough at senior level before joining Bologna in 2022. After a slow debut campaign in Italy, the former Netherlands under-21 international has caught the eye this season with seven goals and two assists in 19 Serie A appearances.
The forward has been integral to the Thiago Motta-managed club’s push for Champions League qualification. The report adds the likes of Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and Ajax have also registered an interest in Zirkzee.
Rasmus Hojlund, Mason Mount and Antony have just two Premier League goals between them despite setting the club back over £200 million in transfer fees. Hojlund, who arrived from Atalanta in the past summer transfer window, needs time to acclimatise to the demands of Premier League football, while last season’s club’s top scorer Marcus Rashford has failed to reproduce the goods for Erik ten Hag’s side.
In fact, Scott McTominay is the Red Devils’ top scorer domestically with five goals, which apparently demonstrates Man United’s goalscoring struggles this term. Despite splashing big on Hojlund, the club needs to bring in another quality striker in the long run, and Bologna’s Joshua Zirkzee could prove to be that player.
Zirkzee has performed well in Italy this season, scoring goals at a decent rate to help Bologna to seventh in the Serie A table—just two points behind fourth-placed Fiorentina. He certainly has the qualities to thrive in the Premier League and could prove to be a shrewd long-term investment for Man United.
Scoring goals have been a problem for Ten Hag’s side and they need to improve the squad further by signing a reliable striker who can lead the line. Hojlund, who has shone in the Champions League this season, needs more support in the attack and Zirkzee could be a quality option.
The Dutchman has a £34m release clause in his Bologna contract which runs until 2026. Having opened exploratory talks with Bologna for Zirkzee suggests Man United’s interest in the player is concrete. For now, though, the Mancunian giants must continue monitoring the 22-year-old’s performances in Serie A before deciding in the summer.
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