Man United eye Bundesliga star to replace striker wanting to leave Old Trafford
Joshua Zirkzee is eager to leave Manchester United before the transfer window closes, and it looks like the Red Devils already have a plan to replace him. When he joined from Bologna in 2024, fans were excited, hoping he could bring his Italian success to the Premier League.
During the 2023/24 season, Zirkzee scored over ten goals and had seven assists, making him one of the league’s most wanted players. But like many others signed during Erik ten Hag’s time, the 25-year-old hasn’t quite made a big impact at Old Trafford—only scoring nine goals in 75 games.
Even though his time at United hasn’t been great, several clubs are still interested in him, including Napoli, Juventus, Roma, and Aston Villa. Fiorentina is also keen and, according to Gazzetta dello Sport, they want to sign Zirkzee as a replacement for Moise Kean. Kean is set to join Como on loan with an obligation to buy, which could open the door for Zirkzee to move to Fiorentina.
Reports say Manchester United and Fiorentina are discussing a loan deal for Zirkzee, possibly for the whole season, with an option to buy in 2027. United would prefer to sell him permanently, but no firm offers have come in yet, making it tough to finalize anything before the September 1 deadline. Zirkzee still has three years left on his contract and is open to returning to Italy.
If Zirkzee leaves, Michael Carrick understands that United will need a replacement, and they might have found one. Transfer expert Ben Jacobs shared that Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur are both interested in Freiburg striker Igor Matanovic. A left-back is the top priority, but if Zirkzee goes, getting a new striker will become more urgent.
Matanovic, who is 6ft4 with a similar style and build to Zirkzee, scored 11 Bundesliga goals last season and is seen as the next Mario Mandzukic for Croatia. Fiorentina is also interested in him, but if they sign Zirkzee, United could have a clearer path to bring Matanovic in.
Currently, Man United has other attacking options like Benjamin Sesko, Matheus Cunha, and Bryan Mbeumo, but Matanovic could bring strong competition up front.