Joshua Zirkzee's Fiorentina Move as Manchester United Faces Striker Dilemma
Joshua Zirkzee looks to be moving closer to the Old Trafford exit door, with Fiorentina understood to have reached an agreement with the Manchester United forward on personal terms.
The 25-year-old has slipped down the pecking order under Michael Carrick, and the message from the manager on the opening weekend could hardly have been louder. United chased a goal that never arrived against Hull City, yet Zirkzee stayed rooted to the bench. For a forward already fighting for minutes, that omission cut deep.
Those around the player now accept what that decision signalled: Zirkzee is no longer part of United’s plans. Rather than endure another season on the fringes, the Dutchman is ready to move on and listen to offers that promise him a prominent role.
Italy has always felt like unfinished business for him. His spell at Bologna left a strong impression in Serie A, where his mix of technique and physical presence turned heads and built a reputation that has never really faded. For a long time, Juventus and Napoli were seen as the natural next step if he returned to the peninsula.
The landscape has shifted.
Fiorentina have pushed to the front of the queue and are now viewed as clear favourites to land the Netherlands international. The Tuscan club are preparing to offload Moise Kean to Como, a deal that has been brewing for months and would open a key slot in Fabio Grosso’s attack.
That vacancy has drawn the gaze of sporting director Fabio Paratici, back in Serie A recruitment mode after his spell at Tottenham. His target: the United outcast who once lit up Bologna.
According to Italian journalist Damiano Er Faina, Fiorentina have already reached an agreement with Zirkzee on personal terms. The framework is there. The player is willing. The move makes sense for all three parties.
One obstacle remains.
Fiorentina still need to strike a deal with Manchester United before Tuesday’s transfer deadline. The fee and structure of the transfer have not yet emerged, but the momentum is unmistakable. If the talks progress as expected, United will soon have a hole to fill in their forward line.
And that is where the real tension begins for the Premier League club.
United are operating late in the window, with limited room to manoeuvre and no appetite to throw major money at a striker who will sit behind Benjamin Sesko. They need depth, not a new headline act, and that narrows the market dramatically.
Jean-Philippe Mateta has been floated as a possible solution. At 29, the Crystal Palace striker offers Premier League experience and a robust profile, but Palace are still holding out for a substantial fee despite his contract running down. For a player earmarked as a backup, that price point complicates things.
Alexander Sorloth, 30, looks a more realistic target. At Atletico Madrid he has slipped into the background despite carrying a strong reputation, and that status could make him more attainable for United at this late stage.
So the situation is clear.
Fiorentina are closing in on a forward they have long admired. Zirkzee is ready for a fresh start in a league that still values him. Manchester United, meanwhile, must decide how bold they are willing to be in the final days of the window — and how much they are prepared to gamble on the man who replaces him.
