WITH the conclusion of the European Championship last weekend, football’s attention is now firmly focused on the transfer window as teams accelerate their preparations for the new season.
Manchester United is a team that always makes headlines in the market, whether for a player they are linked to or a player they have signed.
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In recent years, many blockbuster purchases by the Red Devils have unfortunately not worked out as planned.
However, with new leadership in the form of Ineos guiding the club, there is hope that this window will bring the first real steps towards returning the club to its former glory.
The first piece of the jigsaw in this regard is Joshua Zirkzee, who signed a five-year contract after completing a £42.5m move from Serie A side Bologna.
Zirkzee, 23, has had a nomadic career to date, having moved from Feyenoord to Bayern Munich at youth level and then loaned out to the likes of Parma and Anderlecht.
In 2022 he eventually moved to Bologna for around £27.5m, before his game developed to the point where he was targeted by a number of clubs this summer, including AC Milan ahead of Man Utd’s swoop.
Below we take a look at some key aspects of the Dutchman’s game, such as how his style is not that of a traditional centre-forward and how he will shock the Red Devils faithful with a similar profile to Roberto Firmino.
Positioning
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Zirkzee’s signing does not necessarily mean there will be an impact on the playing time given to Rasmus Hojlund next season.
Hojlund, himself a big Serie A signing, is very much a traditional striker who wants to play high and take the shoulder off the last defender.
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Zirkzee, on the other hand, is more likely to drop deep to receive the ball in deeper areas and try to link up the play.
This movement profile of the Dutch striker could cause some problems, however, in the way Bruno Fernandes usually plays.
Whether he starts as an 8 in midfield or as a 10 between midfield and attack, he typically looks to get into the same positions that we’re likely to see Zirkzee drop into.
This profile is perhaps a little surprising given its size and structure.
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He is listed at 193 cm | 6’3” with a long, athletic build and he looks very much like the type of striker who can fill Hojlund’s role and who can push the defensive line back.
Instead, Zirkzee presents himself more as a technically strong striker who will take possession of the ball and then link up with his teammates, creating threats and bringing players into the game.
That’s not to say Zirkzee can’t play better as a more advanced striker.
When he plays in a higher line, he will still try to act as a platform in the advanced areas where his team can play.
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He won’t try to rotate and attack the space behind the defensive line, but as Man Utd already have attacking players like Hojlund, Alejandro Garnacho and Marcus Rashford who can threaten this space, that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
In fact, it’s reasonably easy to see a situation where Hojlund and Zirkzee could play together.
Creativity
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When playing in deeper areas, Zirkzee is the type of striker who sees the game and can find a pass to advance the ball.
When he returns to the deeper positions we discussed and when he receives forward passes from teammates, he is constantly scanning and checking his position and his teammates’ position on the field.
This allows him to build images of the game and when he receives the ball he is able to play at pace with one or two touches to quickly advance the ball and break the lines.
He is a striker who adapts more to a style of football that is based more on quick transitions or counterattacks and where the ball is quickly moved from back to front.
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This will suit Man Utd well given the problems they had with ball progression last season.
We won’t be surprised to see comparisons quickly made by fans between Zirkzee and former playmaker Dimitar Berbatov, as both are tall, creative strikers with a great first touch.
When he receives the ball in the attacking phase he is not the fastest nor the most dynamic.
But he has a tendency to attract players to him and in these situations he interacts well with his teammates.
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Zirkzee will create threats and opportunities for teammates consistently and this will be hugely beneficial to other attackers in the team as he drags defenders out of position and plays passes into space.
He is the type of striker who will bring creativity to Man Utd’s attacking unit, something that was sorely lacking last season.
Goal
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Although Zirkzee is a more creative attacker who drops into deeper positions, he is, of course, still a competent finisher in his own right.
Last season at Bologna he finished the season with 12 goals and seven assists in all competitions.
Many of his goals come from situations where he receives the ball at his feet and then moves forward to create the angle to shoot or when receiving and then quickly creating a shooting opportunity for himself.
He is not necessarily an instinctive goalscorer who will be successful in sending crosses into the box, but his ability to score from different angles and situations will bring immediate value to United next season.
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While Hojlund consistently looks to stretch the field and run beyond or through the defensive line, Zirkzee is perhaps more of a player who relies on reading the game and positioning to create scoring opportunities.
He is intelligent in the way he moves away from opposing defenders and will create separation and space to receive and play.
He also reads the intentions of opposing players very well.
If they are loose with their passes in the defensive third, he will be quick to take advantage of this as he looks to regain possession as close to the goal as possible.
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This is yet another way in which he will create opportunities to score goals.
The Dutch striker is likely to never score 30 goals per season, but he will contribute effectively to Man Utd’s attacking phase next season.
Conclusion
After spending a significant amount of money to recruit Zirkzee from Bologna this summer, it’s fair to say that Man Utd fans will be excited to see their new man in action.
While he may not be exactly the type of striker they are hoping for, he will still gain a lot from his new man up front.
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This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
