Beyond The Box: Joshua Zirkzee’s Unique Journey To Manchester United

Following Joshua Zirkzee’s impressive Premier League debut after his high-profile transfer from Bologna, Sportxparte has examined the details of Manchester United’s new striker.

At the beginning of the summer, Zirkzee was the center of attention as several of the world’s top clubs, including United, AC Milan, and Arsenal expressed interest in him following his outstanding season at Bologna.

Manchester United ultimately secured Zirkzee, paying approximately €40 million for his transfer and offering him a five-year contract. He justified that investment by scoring the winning goal in his debut at Fulham.

So, what kind of player do the Red Devils have on their hands and can he succeed in the strongest league in the world?

From Bayern to Brussels to Bologna now United

It was clear from a young age that Zirkzee was a big talent, hence why Dutch giants Feyenoord signed him for ADO Den Haag when he was 12 and why Bayern Munich signed him from Feyenoord a year later.

Having progressed through the youth ranks at Bayern, he marked his debut for the reserve team with a hat-trick in March 2019, followed by his senior debut in August of the same year.

The teenager concluded the season with four goals in nine Bundesliga appearances, and contributions in two DFB matches and one UEFA Champions League game ensured Zirkzee contributed across all fronts as Bayern won a landmark treble under Hansi Flick. Having also featured for the second team 16 times, Zirkzee added a third-division league title to his collection that same year.

However, first-team opportunities were hard to come by due to the presence of Robert Lewandowski, so Zirkzee was sent out on loan to Parma in January 2021.

Things didn’t work out at resthouse, with him making just four appearances, and it wasn’t until he joined Anderlecht on a loan that summer that his career got up and running.

Under the leadership of Vincent Kompany, he emerged as the first-choice striker for the Belgian club and established himself as one of the country’s top talents, scoring 15 goals and providing eight assists in 32 league starts.

It was no surprise that the club was eager to secure his permanent transfer at the end of the season; however, his future was destined to be in Italy.

He was signed by Bologna in the summer of 2022 with Bayern insisting on a buy-back clause, but it was a clause that didn’t look likely to ever be activated after his first season, during which he got just two goals in 19 appearances with the majority of those being off the bench.

Thiago Motta, who joined at the same time, preferred to implement a system featuring one striker and quickly opted for Marko Arnaovic over the Dutchman. The young striker acknowledged that at that time, he “wasn’t ready mentally, not like Motta wanted anyway.”

However, a few “clips around the ear” from the manager got him into shape, and when Arnautovic left for Inter Milan, the young striker was ready.

During what was one of Bologna’s finest seasons, he emerged as their standout. While his statistics of 12 goals and seven assists may not seem particularly impressive at first glance, they tell only part of the story.

The forward also generated numerous opportunities for his teammates while playing a false nine role.

His exceptional performances earned him several accolades, including the Serie Young Player of the Season award a call-up to EURO 2024, and a transfer to Manchester United.

The Rotterdam Zlatan Ibrahimovic 

Looking at his 1.93m stature, you may think Zirkzee is a target man who thrives in the air and inside the box. If so, think again.

He frequently cites Zlatan Ibrahimovic as one of his greatest inspirations and it’s clear that there are notable similarities between the two. Much like the Swede, the Dutchman excels with the ball at his feet despite his height, possesses near-perfect technique, and has a real taste for the spectacular.

However, Ibrahimovic was lethal inside the box and was a goalscorer above anything else, which can’t be said for Zirkzee, as shown by a comparison made by Motta last season.

“He said his idols are Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Gabriel Batistuta, who are two excellent players, but, seeing him day-to-day, he reminds me of the Ronaldinho I played with at Barcelona,” said the Italian.

It might seem surprising to compare a tall striker to Ronaldinho, but watching Zirkzee makes the clear.

He relishes running with the ball, taking on defenders, and showcasing his skills with occasional tricks. Much like the Brazilian, he plays with the flair and audacity reminiscent of someone enjoying a friendly game of five-a-side.

His football journey begin on the Cruyff Courts of Rotterdam, small pitches established by the Dutch legend’s foundation, and he credits that experience as a significant influence on the type of player he has become.

“It makes you too; you have to be smart; you have to find a way to keep up with guys that are bigger and stronger than you,” he told La Gazzetta dello Sport.

“I learned on the streets – and that’s where creativity comes to life.”

Given his creative tendencies, he generally prefers to play alongside a strike partner who will provide the three behind and in the box, allowing him to roam around the pitch as he pleases.

Will he succeed in Manchester?

So, can the man who described himself as “not a number nine, not a number 10, but a 9.5” succeed at Manchester United?

Well, on paper, at least, the perfect strike partner for him is already there in Rasmus Hojlund, who lays high and makes runs behind the opposition’s backline.

There’s space for both in the two systems that Ten Hag most commonly uses. They could play alongside each other in a 4-4-2 setup, or Zirkzee could play as the number 10 in a 4-2-3-1.

However, having both players on the field would require captain Bruno Fernandes shifting the right wing, a position where he’s generally not as effective, so it seems more likely that the two young strikers will battle it out for the spot next to the captain.

If Zirkzee aims to secure that position, he needs to modify his style of play by making more runs in behind and getting into the box more frequently. If he play like he did at Bologna, there’s a risk that both he and Fernandes trying to do a similar job from a similar area of the pitch and ending up in each other’s way.

Given that, there’s a chance the Dutchman ends up initially, at least serving primarily as a backup to the Dane and Fernandes, but there’s still plenty of time for him to adapt and become a bigger threat in front of goal, and his winner against Fulham is a positive sign on that front.

His usually outstanding link-up play was evident in the goal as he dropped deep to receive the ball with his back to the goal before playing it out wide. He then followed that up with a perfectly timed run into the box and an instinctive finish.

If he can master that art, he’ll become a near-complete striker in a similar mold to Harry Kane, elite as both a playmaker and goalscorer.

Ultimately, it remains uncertain whether a player of his unpredictable style can succeed in the intense environment of the Premier League, where structure and stability are becoming increasingly dominant just look at how champions Manchester City play.

However, if he manages to adapt, the results could be nothing short of spectacular.