The £26m striker who could be a dream signing for Man Utd - but not with Erik ten Hag in charge

Given that Manchester United have so far scored the same number of Premier League goals as Everton and Luton Town, it wouldn’t be much of a surprise if they were on the lookout for reinforcements up front – and yesterday afternoon, Sky Sports Germany reporter Florian Plettenburg said that he believes that Dutch forward Joshua Zirkzee has emerged as a very serious transfer target, with talks taking place over a summer move for the 22-year-old. On the face of it, that would be an exciting signing for United, but would he really fit the system used by Erik ten Hag?

A product of Bayern Munich’s academy, Zirkzee never really broke through in Bavaria despite some flashy cameos, and his career only really came alive on loan at Anderlecht, where he scored 28 goals in 32 games under Vincent Kompany’s management back in the 2021/22 season. That success earned him a move to Serie A side Bologna, where he has established himself as a key player and begun to live up to his early promise.

United aren’t the only club to have been linked with Zirkzee. Rumours have suggested that Arsenal have been scouting him as a solution to their own striker problem, while Bayern have also considered a bid to bring him back, although Plettenburg believes that to be “unlikely." We don't yet have a clear idea of Bologna's asking price, but Transfermarkt reckon he's valued at around €30m (£25.7m). Whatever he costs, Old Trafford may well be his most likely destination, and he would bring a lot of quality to Ten Hag’s team.

A tall and rangy forward whose 6’4” frame towers over many defenders, he’s a technically impressive player whose silky first touch, intelligent movement, sharp passing and wonderful ball-carrying technique stand out immediately. He reads the game exceptionally well and his play off the ball can make him a nightmare to mark, while his vision makes him fantastic at bringing his fellow forwards into the game.

So far, so good then – Zirkzee is an excellent player who has room to develop into a world-class forward in the right system. But do Ten Hag’s tactics really have a place for someone like the young Dutchman? Based on this season, he might not be a natural fit.

For starters, despite his size, he isn’t a traditional number nine by any means. His aerial duel success rate is poor and his heading isn’t especially strong, and while he scored a ton in Belgium, his time in Italy suggests that he isn’t the kind of forward who will bag a ton of goals either – he has nine in 38 Serie A games so far. If what United need is someone to lead the line and hit the back of the net 20 times a season, he isn’t the man they’re looking for.

Instead, Zirkzee likes to drop deep and orchestrate play while other forwards run on behind him. At Bologna, that means playing as a false nine, finding space outside the area while the two wide forwards look to get ahead of him. He excels in this role – he’s superb at finding room, dragging defenders out of position, making space for a pass with his control and playing killer balls in behind. It’s also easy to imagine him suiting a deep-lying role in a two-striker line-up, playing off a more traditional number nine.

That isn’t how United play under Ten Hag, however. The current head coach plays with his front three far up the field and spread out, looking to receive direct passes, and he wants his number nine to play like one – Rasmus Højlund, for instance, isn’t asked to come deep to collect the ball but to play on the shoulder of the last defender and look for runs in behind. It’s hard to imagine that role suiting Zirkzee.

He also lacks the raw pace to be fully effective as a wide forward, even if he has many of the other attributes that would lend themselves to playing in the role that Marcus Rashford or Alejandro Garnacho currently occupy for United. He also wants players to be close to him, giving him options for lay-offs and allowing him to find space while nearby players occupy defenders. United’s spread-out attacking system seems like one that Zirkzee would struggle in, and it’s hard to imagine him converting to life as an out-and-out central striker, even if his height might trick people into imagining that he could be.

It would be easier to imagine Zirkzee fitting into a side like Liverpool. He would likely excel in the Roberto Firmino role, a striker who can score and threaten in the box but whose primary role is to create space and opportunities for onrushing wingers. Given their personnel, a similar set-up could easily work well for United, but that would require a pretty substantial change in approach from the manager.

Of course, that might not be Ten Hag come the summer. His position will be under serious scrutiny over the second half of the season thanks to United’s disappointing results and the presence of new minority owners – Ineos are taking charge of sporting matters at the club, and they have not demonstrated much patience with their managers at the other football teams that they own. Ten Hag will likely not survive until the summer if he can’t demonstrate substantial forward progress in the coming weeks and months. If a new manager comes in and changes the way that United play, then signing Zirkzee could suddenly become a masterstroke.

There is little doubting his qualities, and he has all the hallmarks of a forward will go a very long way in the right team – but it’s all too easy to see him struggling if people try to make an old-fashioned number nine out of him. He may have height and a good first touch, but he will be better as a shadow striker, linking up play as part of a tight, narrow attacking unit. If that’s what United look like in August, then signing him looks like a brilliant idea – but as it stands, we’re some way from seeing them play like that.