Fiorentina Leads Juventus in Zirkzee Transfer Battle

Joshua Zirkzee’s Manchester United career looks to be drifting towards the exit, and Serie A is lining up to catch him.

Both Fiorentina and Juventus have moved for the Dutch forward, but the momentum, for now, sits in Florence. Italian reports suggest La Viola are closer to an agreement with United, while Juve wait in the wings, constrained by their own squad puzzle.

At Old Trafford, the situation is clear. United are prepared to let Zirkzee leave before the transfer window shuts. Opportunities have dried up. Last season he started only five Premier League games, a bit-part role for a player in his supposed prime years. On the opening weekend of the 2026-27 campaign, he didn’t even get off the bench against newly-promoted Hull City.

The road ahead in Manchester only looks more crowded. Marcus Rashford has returned from his loan spell at Barcelona, tightening the competition in the attacking positions and pushing Zirkzee further down Erik ten Hag’s list of options. For a 25-year-old who has already shown he can lead a front line in Italy, another season on the fringes is not an attractive prospect.

Italy, though, remembers a different version of him. At Bologna in 2023-24, Zirkzee hit 11 Serie A goals and grew into a central figure in their attack. That campaign put his name firmly back on the radar of bigger clubs, and it is no coincidence that the two most persistent suitors now both come from a league where he has already proved he can thrive.

Juventus want another attacker and see Zirkzee as a viable piece of their rebuild. The problem is timing. They are still trying to shift Jonathan David, and any serious move for Zirkzee is expected to depend on finding a new home for the Canadian first. Until then, their interest sits in the “if and when” category.

Fiorentina’s need is sharper. Moise Kean is on the verge of joining Champions League side Como in a €40m deal, leaving a sizeable hole in Vincenzo Italiano’s forward line. La Viola are not shopping for depth; they are looking for a replacement who can walk straight into the side and carry responsibility from day one.

That urgency changes the dynamics of the chase. With Juventus effectively waiting for outgoings before they can commit, Fiorentina can move now. According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, that immediacy has put them in the strongest position to strike a deal with Manchester United.

For Zirkzee, the choice – if it comes to that – will be stark. A return to Italy with a club ready to build around him, or another gamble on minutes in a squad reshuffle elsewhere. For Fiorentina and Juventus, it could be the difference between securing a proven Serie A scorer and watching him line up in the colours of a direct rival.