An insight into why Joshua Zirkzee is the perfect fit for Manchester United | OneFootball

Manchester United are one of a host of clubs interested in signing Bologna’s striker Joshua Zirkzee.

The Red Devils spent heavily on Rasmus Hojlund last season but he was tasked with leading the line largely by himself at only 21 years old due to the injury problems of Anthony Martial and an inability to sign another centre forward last summer.

United have been linked to forwards such as Ivan Toney and Viktor Gyökeres but it seems that Joshua Zirkzee is becoming one of the most frequently discussed names in regard to a move to Old Trafford.

It has been reported that in spite of interest from Juventus, AC Milan and Arsenal, United have asked the player to postpone making a decision on his future until July, when his release clauses becomes active.

The Athletic have taken a deep dive into the playing style of the Dutch striker and have described him as “refreshingly different” from the modern day Premier League strikers of Darwin Nunez, Erling Haaland and Rasmus Hojlund.

Like these strikers he is tall, standing at 193cm and powerfully built. However, his game is so much more than this.

“Unlike most other central strikers of a similar height and stature, Zirkzee is a fluid dribbler who glides past defenders,” reporters Elias Burke and Mark Carey write. “He likes to receive the ball with his back to goal or on the half-turn, and can spin his marker or bring team-mates into the action with outstanding hold-up play. With five league assists last season, he offers a side much more than a penalty-box presence.”

The Dutchman credits his upbringing for his unique playing style as he grew up playing on the “Johan Cruyff courts” of Schiedam, a city west of Rotterdam.

“I think what the USA has with (urban outdoor) basketball courts, we have in Holland with the five-a-side pitches,” Zirkzee said. “It makes you tough, you have to be smarter, you have to find a way to keep up with guys that are bigger and stronger than you. I learned on the streets — and that’s where creativity comes to life.”

The striker has predominantly played as a lone striker for Bologna but he has also had success as a false nine under his coach Thiago Motta, whose coaching methods are very much influenced by his time as a player at Barcelona.

The 23 year old also excels at off the ball movement and possesses incredible diversity in the types of runs he makes, as they are a “key part” of his game.

“You are almost as likely to see him make runs in behind the defensive line or ahead of the ball as you will see him come short to drag opposition defenders out of position,” the reporters say.

Burke and Carey also believe that Zirkzee’s profile would bring the best out of the players United already have at the club.

“With a partner such as Zirkzee, who is more comfortable dropping deeper and linking with attackers, Hojlund could be freed of the burden of facing both centre-backs to use his qualities higher up the pitch,” they argue.

In addition, his strong hold up play, which the Dane can still struggle with at times, would allow for Andre Onana’s long passes or Lisandro Martinez’s line-splitting balls to have more of an impact for the team.

There is some concern that the striker has never had a particularly prolific season in front of goal, with his best season being 16 goals for Anderlecht in 2021-22 in the Belgian league. But he is still young.

Furthermore, if there is anything to be learnt from The Athletic’s piece, it is that the player brings so much more to the table than goals.

There are also signs of improving his goalscoring production as he has reached double figures in two of his previous three seasons. What’s more, “with his unique style and variety of finishing with both feet, he has the potential to start delivering goals at a more regular rate. When analysing Zirkzee, goals only scratch the surface,” the reporters continue.

“Finding a player who combines physical dominance and athleticism with elite dribbling ability through central areas is as much of a ‘unicorn’ skill set as you can hope to find in football.”

Therefore, it is of little surprise to why the player is so sought-after around Europe and why United fans would love to see the player bring his creativity to the Theatre of the Dreams in the coming season.

Want to be the first to hear breaking Man United news? For carefully selected, crucial updates, join our WhatsApp channel: https://bit.ly/United-Breaking-News.