Manchester United set to send Joshua Zirkzee to Italy as club hunts for new striker
Fiorentina have submitted a loan bid with a purchase option; United want an experienced striker if Zirkzee leaves.
Manchester United are close to sending Dutch forward Joshua Zirkzee to Italy before the transfer window closes, following reports from well-known insider Fabrizio Romano.
Fiorentina have reportedly lodged an official loan offer worth £4.3 million that includes an option to buy, while Juventus remain among the clubs interested in the player's services.
The United hierarchy has informed Zirkzee that he is not in the club's plans, a decision that would leave the squad with just one traditional centre-forward, Benjamin Sesko.
United’s urgent search for a striker
The opening Premier League defeat to Hull City (0-2) exposed the limitations of deploying Matheus Cunha as an improvised number nine, and prompted the club to move quickly to recruit an experienced striker for a reasonable fee.
Names on Manchester United’s short list include Jean-Philippe Mateta (29) of Crystal Palace — a player who has been seeking an exit and was reportedly offered to United by his agents — Ivan Toney (30) currently at Saudi Al-Ahli, and Igor Thiago (25) of Brentford.
Any signing of a new centre-forward is conditional on the finalisation of Zirkzee’s move to Serie A before the deadline.
Photo: press material from the event
