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Manchester United are one of a number of clubs interested in signing Bologna forward Joshua Zirkzee.
The Red Devils spent big on Rasmus Hoylund last season, but he was tasked with leading the line largely alone at just 21 years of age due to Anthony Martial’s injury problems and the inability to sign another centre-forward last summer.
United have been linked with strikers such as Ivan Toney and Viktor Gyökeres, but Joshua Zirkzee appears to be becoming one of the names most discussed in connection with a move to Old Trafford.
It has been reported that despite interest from Juventus, AC Milan and Arsenal, United have asked the player to delay making a decision on his future until July, when his release clauses become active.
Athletic took a deep dive into the Dutch forward’s style of play and described him as “refreshingly different” to modern Premier League strikers Darwin Nunez, Erling Haaland and Rasmus Hojlund.
Like these strikers, he is tall, 193cm tall and powerfully built. However, his game is much more than this.
“Unlike most other centre-forwards of similar height and stature, Zirkzee is a fluid dribbler who gets past defenders,” write reporters Elias Burke and Mark Carey. “He likes to receive the ball with his back to the goal or on the half-turn, and he can turn the marker or lead his teammates into action with outstanding holding play. With five league assists last season, he offers the team much more than a presence in the box.”
The Dutchman attributes his unique style of play to growing up playing on the “Johan Cruyff pitches” in Schiedam, a city west of Rotterdam.
“I think what the U.S. has with (urban outdoor) basketball courts, we have in the Netherlands with five-a-side courts,” Zirkzee said. “It makes you tough, you have to be smarter, you have to find a way to keep up with guys who are bigger and stronger than you. I learned on the street — and that’s where creativity comes alive.”
The striker has mostly played as a lone striker for Bologna, but has also had success as a false nine under his coach Thiago Motta, whose coaching methods were heavily influenced by his time as a player at Barcelona.
The 23-year-old also excels at moving off the ball and possesses incredible variety in the types of runs he makes, as they are a “key part” of his game.
“You’re almost as likely to see him run in behind the defensive line or in front of the ball as you are to see him missing to draw opposing defenders out of position,” the reporters said.
Burke and Carey also believe Zirkzee’s profile would bring out the best in the players United already have at the club.
“With a partner like Zirkzee, who is more comfortable dropping deeper and linking up with the forwards, Hojlund could be relieved of the burden of dealing with both centre-backs to use his qualities higher up the pitch,” they claim.
Additionally, his strong holding game, which the Dane can still struggle with at times, would allow Andre Onana’s long passes or Lisandro Martinez’s line-splitting balls to have a greater impact on the team.
There is some concern that the forward has never had a particularly prolific season in front of goal, with his best season being 16 goals for Anderlecht in the 2021-22 season in the Belgian league. But he is still young.
Furthermore, if there’s one thing to be learned from The Athletic’s piece, it’s that the player brings a lot more to the table than goals.
There are also signs of improvement in his scoring production as he has reached double figures in two of his previous three seasons. Moreover, “with his unique style and versatility in finishing with either foot, he has the potential to start scoring goals at a more regular rate. When analyzing Zirkzee, the goals only scratch the surface,” the journalists continued.
“Finding a player who combines physical dominance and athleticism with an elite ability to dribble through central areas is about as ‘unicorn’ a skill set as you could hope for in football.”
So it’s no surprise why the player is in such high demand in Europe and why United fans would love to see the player bring his creativity to the Theater of the Dreams next season.
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