TEN HAG HAS NOW PERSONALLY HELD TALKS WITH "POWERFUL" 34M MAN UTD TARGET
In pursuit of putting an end to their goalscoring problems once and for all, Erik ten Hag has now reportedly personally held talks with one of Manchester United's summer targets.
Man Utd transfer news
It's a big summer at Old Trafford. After putting his faith in Ten Hag, Sir Jim Ratcliffe will be desperate to see Manchester United avoid a repeat of their last Premier League campaign, which saw the Red Devils finish as low as eighth. They did at least end their season on a high by defeating Manchester City to win the FA Cup, but only time will tell whether that win will be the start of a resurgence or one that just papered over the cracks once again.
Man Utd looking to beat Newcastle in race to sign Premier League wonderkid
He's one for the future.
With or without that FA Cup win, it became clear last season that United must welcome some fresh faces this summer, whether that be a replacement for Casemiro (in the form of the heavily linked Manuel Ugarte) or Raphael Varane, who is set to leave Old Trafford as a free agent at the end of the month. What's more, an update has emerged on the Red Devils' pursuit of a target who could finally solve their attacking problems.
According to Gianluca Di Marzio, Ten Hag has now personally held talks with Joshua Zirkzee regarding a summer switch to Manchester United. The Bologna forward has been linked with a move in recent weeks and those at Old Trafford have until mid-August to trigger his €40m (£34m) release clause, as per Fabrizio Romano.
Still just 23 years old and impressing in Serie A, Zirkzee is certainly a player who is capable of partnering Rasmus Hojlund and providing the attacking spark that Ten Hag's side so desperately lacked last season.
"Powerful" Zirkzee can ignite Rashford's best form
It's no surprise that as Marcus Rashford struggled for consistency and goals, so did Manchester United. The academy graduate had his season summed up when Gareth Southgate dropped him from his England squad for Euro 2024, leaving the winger to reflect on a campaign to forget.
The winger must pick himself up and dust himself off as soon as possible with pre-season right around the corner and the potential chance to work alongside a rising star with the calibre of Zirkzee, who could finally help rediscover Rashford's best form.
| League stats 23/24 (via FBref) | Joshua Zirkzee | Marcus Rashford |
|---|---|---|
| Goals | 11 | 7 |
| Assists | 4 | 2 |
| Expected Goals | 7.4 | 5.8 |
| Key Passes | 43 | 23 |
What's instantly notable is the fact that both players outperformed their expected goals last season, which suggests that United's main task must be to create chances for the two forwards who are clearly more than capable of taking them.
Dubbed a "powerful striker" by former Bayern Munich academy manager Holger Seitz, the arrival of Zirkzee would be an excellent start to Manchester United's summer business.
2024-06-30T04:40:36Z dg43tfdfdgfd