Manchester United could hand Rasmus Hojlund a new partner in crime up front as they are said to be monitoring Bologna striker Joshua Zirkzee. But the Red Devils may first have to win a transfer battle with Arsenal to get their hands on the talented 22-year-old.
United shelled out a whopping £72million to prise Hojlund away from Atalanta in the summer, and the Denmark international showed glimpses of brilliance in the Champions League before Christmas as he bagged five goals in six outings.
But Hojlund has struggled to find his form in the Premier League and only has two top-flight goals to his name despite featuring in 16 matches. And Erik ten Hag’s side are among the lowest scorers in the Premier League this season, with only Crystal Palace, Burnley and Sheffield United finding the back of the net on fewer occasions than Erik ten Hag’s side.
United have only racked up 24 league strikes and are in desperate need of reinforcements in attack. If they don’t bring in fresh blood this month, they will surely target a new striker in the summer. And Netherlands under-21s international Zirkzee, who has scored seven goals in 19 Serie A appearances this term, could be their man.
According to Corriere di Bologna, Zirkzee is being courted by some of the biggest clubs in European football, with United and Arsenal currently showing the most interest. But Bologna already have an agreement with the star’s former employers Bayern Munich, who negotiated a £34m buy-back clause when they sanctioned his departure from the Allianz Arena in the summer of 2022.
Bayern also insisted on a significant percentage of a future resale. And Bologna are not overly concerned about the interest in Zirkzee as they feel they have more bargaining power because of the deal they previously struck with the Bundesliga champions.
Arsenal could push United all the way for Zirkzee’s signature as they are suffering from their own issues in front of goal this season. The Gunners moved to the top of the table at the end of November but endured a woeful run of form over the Christmas period as they were beaten by Aston Villa in early December before suffering back-to-back defeats against West Ham and Fulham at the end of last month as they racked up just one goal in the three matches.
Mikel Arteta’s team returned to winning ways courtesy of a 5-0 thrashing of Crystal Palace last weekend. But with first-choice striker Gabriel Jesus contributing just three Premier League goals this campaign, the arrival of Zirkzee in the summer could certainly provide the north London giants with a shot in the arm.
