Man United made the decision to strengthen their attacking options with the signing of Joshua Zirkzee from Bologna last summer – but it could prove to be nothing more than a one-year marriage.
Joshua Zirkzee (second right, bottom row) could be moved on this summer.(Image: Richard Callis/Sports Press Photo/Getty Images.)
Joshua Zirkzee’s Manchester United debut could not have possibly gone any better.
After starting the season opener against Fulham on the bench, the Dutchman was instructed to get himself ready by former United manager Erik ten Hag with around half an hour left on the clock.
He stepped onto the hallowed Old Trafford turf for the first time with 61 minutes played, replacing Mason Mount, and 26 minutes later he was celebrating marking the occasion with a match-winning goal, sealing a 1-0 win for United to send them top of the pile on the opening night of the season.
After dropping deep to collect possession, the Dutchman ushered the ball out to the right, finding Scott McTominay, and he gambled on connecting with the Scot’s cross into the centre, sticking out a leg to direct the ball past Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno.
Arriving from Italian side Bologna for €42.5million just under five weeks earlier, the 23-year-old could not have wished to make a more telling impact on his first outing in United colours.
He had been drafted in to compete with Rasmus Hojlund, who had finished his first season at Old Trafford by scoring a respectable 16 goals, and offer United’s attack something different.
In Zirkzee, United knew they were getting something very different to Hojlund. Their respective profiles feature different traits and one of Zirkzee’s biggest is his ability to drop deep and collect possession, linking the midfield with the attack.
His role in the build up to his debut goal put that particular trait under the spotlight. It was a characteristic that United and their supporters hoped he would be able to put to good use.
“I occasionally drop down to midfield,” Zirkzee told the Mirror last summer. “I don’t do that for myself but to help the team.
Joshua Zirkzee made the perfect start to his Manchester United career.(Image: Michael Regan/Getty Images.)
“I am what I call a false striker. Not a No 9, not a No 10. I am a 9.5. That’s my game. Maybe I’m a little different than others. But being different is good, right?”
Former Italian international Thiago Motta had left his post as Bologna head coach around a month before Zirkzee departed, leaving to take over at Juventus. He, too, described Zirkzee’s style of play as unique.
“He said his idols are Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Gabriel Batistuta, who are two excellent players, but, seeing him day-to-day, he reminds me of the Ronaldinho I played with at Barcelona,” Motta told Sky Sport Italia in February 2024.
“But I cannot compare him to anyone. He is just Joshua, and he is special.”
Being compared with Brazilian great Ronaldinho understandably got United supporters excited. Zirkzee was an unknown quantity to most United supporters and their knowledge of him and his playing style was limited.
Ultimately, though, United brought him to Old Trafford to compete with Hojlund, ease the burden on his shoulders and get goals. Forty-eight games into his United career, Zirkzee’s goals tally stands at an uninspiring seven, with just three of them being plundered in the Premier League.
Joshua Zirkzee has struggled to make his mark at Old Trafford this season.(Image: Carl Recine/Getty Images.)
As well as scoring against Fulham on the opening night of the campaign, the only other league game in which he has found the net this season was when he netted a brace in the 4-0 win over Everton at the start of December.
It was quickly established that Zirkzee does not have the required skills and qualities to operate as a No.9. He is not a goalscorer and his positioning inside the box has highlighted that throughout the season.
Following United’s mid-season switch to a 3-4-2-1 formation under Ruben Amorim, who succeeded Ten Hag in November, Zirkzee has had opportunities to express himself as a playmaker in either of the two No.10 position. To his credit, his performances have been much more accomplished in that area of the pitch, and he deserves credit for that and fighting back from the juncture that saw him booed by some of United’s fans when he was substituted in the first half against Newcastle United at Old Trafford in December.
However, there is one burning question that needs answering: does he have a long-term future at Old Trafford? The answer: probably not.
United are now less than a month away from the start of the biggest summer transfer window they have arguably ever faced. The decks need clearing and United need to be ruthless.
Zirkzee signed a five-year-deal at Old Trafford last July and him being moved on as quickly as this summer would send out a clear message that United are in no mood to mess around. They want to strengthen their attacking options and they have established interest in Wolves star Matheus Cunha, who can operate as a No.10, and Liam Delap of Ipswich Town. They have also been credited with interest in Brentford attacker Bryan Mbeumo.
Manchester United are desperate to sign Matheus Cunha this summer.(Image: Justin Tallis/AFP via Getty Images.)
Zirkzee, who will miss the remainder of the season because of a hamstring injury he sustained against Newcastle at St James’ Park last month, is unlikely to be assured of regular game time next season if Delap and Cunha are drafted in at the very least.
United will have to accept a financial loss on the Netherlands international if they are to cash-in, but the same is likely to be said of a few players they plan to offload this summer and ahead of the start of next season.
Zirkzee was linked with an exit from Old Trafford as quickly as January and Amorim, despite outlining his desire for him to stay, refused to rule out the possibility of an exit.
“I want to keep Josh because he gives everything,” Amorim said. “He’s trying in training but we don’t know, the window is open.
“We will see what happens. We just need to focus on training and to take this for the next game. So it’s just one point. Let’s focus on the performance, take this to the next game.”
Having refused to dismiss an exit there and then, United are unlikely to have seen enough in the last few months to put a hands-off notice on him this summer.
The club needs to generate funds from player sales and several big decisions will have to made to contribute to the squad being revamped.
Ronaldinho comparisons or not, Zirkzee has not done enough in his debut season at Old Trafford to be considered untouchable.