Thanks in part to Harry Kane, Manchester United is supposedly in “pole position” to sign Joshua Zirkzee from Serie A team Bologna for a possible £43 million this summer.

When Erik ten Hag took over as manager two years ago, Manchester United gave Marko Arnautovic considerable consideration. Furthermore, it’s safe to say that rumours that an elderly centre forward might have been headed to Old Trafford—the same summer that City bought Erling Haaland—did not exactly go over well.

In the initial weeks of the INEOS regime in early 2024, the Red Devils are once more being associated with a forward from Bologna. But there’s something meaningful about the disparity between that Arnautovic story and their interest in Joshua Zirkzee.

Perhaps a metaphor for the eagerly anticipated transition away from the Glazer era’s absolute lack of ambition and towards the long-term, forward-thinking plans implemented by Sir Jim Ratcliffe and associates.

TIM Series A: Bologna FC vs. Torino FC
Alessandro Sabattini took the picture/Getty Images
United of Manchester leads Joshua Zirkzee

After the current season ends, Sport Italia claims that Manchester United is “pole position” to sign Zirkzee. If Arnautovic was a flashy signing, then the opposite is true of a deft, skillful 22-year-old who is more than ten years younger than the Austrian.

Zirkzee is only beginning to take off. Furthermore, it seems that the former Feyenoord prospect would welcome another opportunity to establish his eligibility at the top of the European game after being sold by Bayern Munich.

Zirkzee has undoubtedly been acting lately as a man worthy of a larger platform. Despite only scoring eight goals in 22 games, he is not the most productive striker; rather, as reporter Filip Joos notes, he is the kind of attacker that improves everyone around him.

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Harry Kane lending a helpful hand

“He’s a player who can play at any level because he’s improved so much in the previous four months, both mentally and technically. He can perform at extremely high levels, in my opinion,” Bologna’s technical director Giovanni Sartori told Tuttomercatoweb.

It’s likely that Bayern had less faith in Zirkzee’s potential than we did. We both performed admirably. We hope that he will keep providing us with the satisfaction he is now providing.

Zirkzee’s contract does have a buy-back clause for Bayern. But Sport Italia says it’s improbable that they’ll set it off. Bayern doesn’t exactly need any recruits for the number nine position, not with a certain Harry Kane in the mix.

Consequently, the way to Zirkzee is much more obvious than it may have been if Kane hadn’t had such a dramatic effect on Bavaria.

Zirkzee would probably take Anthony Martial’s spot at Manchester United. This summer marks the end of the Frenchman’s contract.