You can chart this Manchester United transfer saga back quite some way. All the way back in 2017, to be precise.
All the way back to when the long-standing Red Devils target was a budding 16-year-old catching the eye of clubs all across Europe – including Arsenal, Everton and Ajax as well as Manchester United – after hitting 33 goals in just 27 games at youth level.
According to the Daily Mail, a teenage Joshua Zirkzee was ‘considering’ a move to England at the time. One that would presumably have seen him link up with Man United’s under 18 side while fighting for recognition with some of the other bright sparks of British football.
Seven years on, via Bayern Munich, Anderlecht, Parma and now Bologna, a move that could have taken place when Jose Mourinho was still in the Old Trafford hotseat has finally happened on Erik ten Hag’s watch.
Manchester United are finally signing Joshua Zirkzee
“Breaking through in England is difficult,” Zirkzee would later explain when asked why he chose to join Bayern Munich rather than head to the Premier League, via Het Laaste Nieuws.
Now 23, Zirkzee obviously feels that this is the right time to embark upon a move that has been a long time in coming. The Dutch international is in Manchester to undergo his medical with United. He will then sign a five-year contract, becoming the first signing of the Sir Jim Ratcliffe, while setting the Red Devils back a cool £35 million.
Scorer of only 12 goals last season, Zirkzee is unlikely to be challenging the likes of Erling Haaland in the Golden Boot stakes next season. But what he maybe lacks in ruthlessness, he more than makes up for with a skillset that looks perfectly suited to what Ten Hag ideally wants from his number nine.
Ten Hag’s brilliant Ajax side stormed past Real Madrid and Juventus on route to the 2019 Champions League semi-finals with the masterful Dusan Tadic deployed as something of a nine-and-a-half. Starting through the middle but often dropping deep to allow Ajax’s speedy wingers to dart in behind.
The ‘very skilful’ Zirkzee is expected to play a similar role at Man United, with Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho among those who should benefit from his elegant presence in the final third.
‘Better than Haaland at everything’
“Zirkzee is better than Haaland at everything,” Voetbal International reporter Suleyman Ozturk once wrote, insisting that the only thing the Man City superstar has over the United-bound frontman is his superior goals return.
“Now, you may be dismayed because of this statement. But I will explain it. (Zirkzee) has vision, technique, strength, charisma, flair, footballing ability. He is therefore better than Haaland in almost everything.
“Imagine if Zirkzee had the energy and focus of Haaland. Then he would be the best striker in the world.”
Whether he will go on to become exactly that – the best striker in the world – remains to be seen.
But with Manchester United belatedly getting their hands on a player who has been on their radar since 2017, Zirkzee should be more than worth the wait.
