Fiorentina Leads Juventus in Joshua Zirkzee Transfer Race

Fiorentina have moved into pole position to sign Joshua Zirkzee from Manchester United, with Juventus still in the frame but stuck in wait-and-see mode as the transfer window ticks on.

United are prepared to let the Dutch forward leave before the end of the summer window after two flat years at Old Trafford. Zirkzee, once a bright hope after his breakout at Bologna, has seen his path blocked and his minutes evaporate.

Last season he started just five Premier League games. On the opening weekend of the 2026-27 campaign, he didn’t even get off the bench against newly promoted Hull City. Now Marcus Rashford has returned from his loan at Barcelona, the competition for places in United’s attack has only intensified. Zirkzee is slipping further down the list.

Italy, though, still remembers a different version of him.

With Bologna in 2023-24, Zirkzee hit 11 Serie A goals and showed the kind of link-up play and penalty-box presence that first turned heads across Europe. That form has kept his name alive in Serie A offices, and both Juventus and Fiorentina have been working on ways to bring him back.

Their situations are very different.

Juventus want another attacker but are constrained by numbers and budget. Any serious push for Zirkzee is likely to depend on moving Jonathan David out first. Until that happens, their interest is real but restrained, more planning than action.

Fiorentina are operating with far more urgency. Moise Kean is on the verge of joining Champions League side Como in a €40m deal, leaving a hole at the top of their attack and cash in hand to fill it. They need a replacement now, not later.

That urgency is shaping the race. According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Fiorentina currently sit in the strongest position to strike a deal with Manchester United, with a clearer path and a more immediate sporting need than Juventus can offer.

Two Italian clubs want the same striker. One must sell before it buys. The other has a gap to fill and money ready.

The next move belongs to Fiorentina.