Joshua Zirkzee Set for Fiorentina Move as Manchester United Faces Striker Dilemma
Joshua Zirkzee is edging towards the Old Trafford exit – and Fiorentina are moving fast to catch him.
The Manchester United striker has reached an agreement on personal terms with the Serie A club, according to Italian journalist Damiano Er Faina, in what looks increasingly like the natural conclusion to a stalled spell in England.
Carrick’s clear message
The turning point came on the opening day of the Premier League season. United were chasing a goal against Hull City, the game crying out for a different option in attack. Zirkzee stayed rooted to the bench.
Michael Carrick had already shuffled his attacking pack since taking over in January, and the 25-year-old has consistently been the odd man out. That latest omission underlined the reality: he is no longer central to the manager’s plans, if he features in them at all.
The message landed. Zirkzee now knows he risks another year watching from the sidelines and is ready to move on rather than accept another campaign as a bit-part player.
Serie A calling again
Italy has never really stopped calling.
Zirkzee’s work at Bologna left a strong impression in Serie A, and his name has hovered around the Italian market ever since. Juventus and Napoli had been touted as the most likely destinations for a while, with both monitoring his situation.
The landscape has shifted. Fiorentina have surged to the front of the queue.
The Viola are close to offloading Moise Kean to Como, a move that has been building for months. That sale would open up a slot in Fabio Grosso’s squad, and sporting director Fabio Paratici is pushing to fill it with the United forward.
Personal terms are now in place between Fiorentina and the Netherlands international. The clock, though, is ticking on the crucial part of the deal: agreeing a fee and structure with Manchester United before Tuesday’s transfer deadline.
United’s striker puzzle
If the stars are aligning for Zirkzee in Florence, they create a headache in Manchester.
United need a replacement, and they need one quickly. The market is thin, the time is short, and the club is not keen on spending big on a forward who will sit behind Benjamin Sesko in the pecking order.
Jean-Philippe Mateta has emerged as one possible answer. The 29-year-old Crystal Palace striker is available, but not cheap. Palace still want a significant fee, even with his contract running down, and that complicates any late-window move.
Alexander Sorloth offers a different route. At 30, and seemingly an afterthought at Atletico Madrid despite a strong reputation, he could be a more attainable option both financially and in terms of playing time expectations.
United now stand at a familiar crossroads: sanction Zirkzee’s departure and trust they can land the right understudy for Sesko in the final days of the window, or hold their ground and risk keeping a frustrated forward on the books.
Fiorentina are ready. Zirkzee is ready. The only question left is whether Manchester United can move quickly enough to turn a clear break into a clean one.
