Erik ten Hag will be frustrated with the lack of consistency his team has shown this season, which has put the Red Devils sixth in the Premier League.
Yet Manchester United’s latest 3-2 victory against Aston Villa showed that when the side is confident, goals are almost guaranteed.
Man Utd are leading the race for £19m “sensation” who Mainoo would love
Erik ten Hag is keen on signing a talented midfield prospect this January.
ByTom LeverDec 28, 2023
The lack of attacking options on the bench on Boxing Day highlighted that the boss must strengthen the attacking department in the January window.
Man Utd transfers latest – Joshua Zirkzee
Eleonora Trotta of CalcioMercato recently tweeted that United are interested in signing Joshua Zirkzee, who plays for Bologna in the Serie A.
The forward apparently has a £34m release clause, however, only the player himself can activate it.
Other Premier League clubs are reportedly interested in acquiring the Dutch forward, but it is the Red Devils that are leading the race.
How Joshua Zirkzee compares to Rasmus Hojlund
Zirkzee has been having a “crazy” impact in Bologna, as per journalist Pietro Balzano Prota, and his stats are certainly impressive. The ex-Bayern Munich prospect moved to Italy last season for just £7.3m, but he has only settled in this campaign.
The 22-year-old has played 17 matches in Serie A, and he has netted seven times while also registering two assists, which has helped Bologna climb into fourth place.
The number nine stands at 6 foot 4, but Ten Hag has already been shopping for a young, tall centre forward in Italy this season, Rasmus Hojlund, who is currently United’s first-choice striker. That said, how does Bologna’s number nine compare to the current centre-forward options at the club based on stats from the last year across the top European leagues?
Goals
0.36
0.27
0.43
Touches
43.28
38.78
28.38
Key passes
1.63
1.22
0.99
Passes completed
22.14
23.43
12.77
Shot-creating actions
3.30
2.51
2.57
Successful take-ons
1.54
1.29
1.21
Based on the stats, it seems that Zirkzee is almost a blend of Hojlund and Anthony Martial, and he is noted to share close traits with the latter in FBref’s similar player model.
Firstly, the Netherlands star offers the physicality and traditional striker-like traits of the 6 foot 3 Dane, such as movement, the ability to hold up play, and a respectable off-the-ball work rate. However, he is much more similar to Martial in terms of his overall game.
For example, Zirkzee and the former Monaco man both like to be involved in the build-up and are comfortable receiving the ball with the view to get on the half turn, whereas Hojlund likes to play on the fringe of the game. They are also much more creative and like to link up play with other attackers. This creativity can come in the form of clever passes or taking on opponents with silky dribbling.
Overall, it is clear that Zirkzee has the technical ability and fluidity of Martial, and with the French forward potentially on his way out in January, replacing him with a like-for-like forward who is younger, far less injury-prone, and offers a different approach to Hojlund seems like a smart move by United.