Matanovic Emerges as Key Target Amid Zirkzee Exit for Manchester United

Manchester United are already living in the aftermath of Joshua Zirkzee – even before he’s out the door.

The Dutch forward is pushing to leave Old Trafford after a flat, frustrating spell in England, where nine goals in 75 games never came close to matching the fanfare that greeted his arrival. Talks with Fiorentina are moving, the player wants a reset, and United know they cannot drift into the season without a focal point.

They need a No 9. Fast.

Matanovic moves to the top of the list

Into that gap steps a very modern answer to a very old problem: a towering centre-forward with a ruthless streak.

Standing 6ft 5in, Freiburg striker Igor Matanovic has been identified as the ideal successor to Zirkzee, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport. At 23, he is coming off a breakout debut season in the Bundesliga after a £6.9m switch from Eintracht Frankfurt, hitting 15 goals in all competitions and dragging Freiburg all the way to the Europa League final.

They fell at the last hurdle against Aston Villa, but Matanovic’s reputation did anything but.

His form has carried straight into the new campaign. He may have drawn a blank in three appearances at the summer World Cup, yet he has started this season like a man intent on erasing that detail. A sharp brace in Freiburg’s DFB-Pokal win over Dusseldorf underlined his momentum and hardened the sense that he is ready for a bigger stage.

United see the profile and like what they see: height, aggression, penalty-box presence. A forward who can bully centre-backs as much as outplay them.

Tottenham join the hunt

This is not a quiet pursuit.

Tottenham have also moved into position, strongly linked with Matanovic as Roberto De Zerbi looks to reshape his attack. Even with Dominic Solanke and Richarlison already on the books, De Zerbi wants more size, more aerial threat, more variety in his front line.

Spurs rarely enter a race like this to make up the numbers. Their interest alone threatens to drive the fee up and the decision down to the wire.

Just as United thought they had found their man, the London club have stepped into the corridor.

Fiorentina’s domino effect

And then there is Fiorentina, the club at the heart of this transfer domino.

Fabio Grosso’s side are closing in on Zirkzee on a season-long loan and see him as a key piece in their rebuild. At the same time, they are scouring the market to replace Moise Kean, who is set to join Cesc Fabregas’ Como project.

That search has led them straight back to Matanovic.

If talks for Zirkzee were to stall, Fiorentina are ready to pivot and push hard for the Freiburg striker as an alternative. One hitch in negotiations, one disagreement over structure or salary, and the Italian club could abandon the loan and dive into a full-on bid for Matanovic.

At that point, United, Tottenham and Fiorentina would be locked into a three-way battle with the clock ticking toward Tuesday’s deadline.

United’s reshuffle and the hole up front

All of this plays out against a broader reset at Old Trafford.

Rasmus Hojlund has already gone, sold to Napoli, leaving United stripped of depth through the middle. Youri Tielemans and Carlos Baleba have been integrated into midfield and brought control, but control counts for little without a cutting edge.

The warning light flashed in their recent 2-0 defeat to Hull City, a shock result that laid bare the lack of a reliable finisher. United had possession, territory, and very little to show for it.

The pressure finally told in the boardroom, if not yet on the pitch. They know they cannot head into the heart of the season with such a glaring weakness.

Negotiations over Zirkzee’s exit are progressing, with Fiorentina confident of landing him on loan. Offloading his wages and freeing a squad slot would give United the financial and tactical room to move decisively for Matanovic before the window closes.

A Mandzukic echo – and a defining deadline

Matanovic’s rise for club and country has already drawn comparisons with Mario Mandzukic, another relentless Croatian forward who mixed brute force with big-game temperament. It is a flattering parallel, but not an outlandish one.

For United, his arrival would mark a clear shift: back to a more physical, penalty-box presence leading the line, a striker who can turn hopeful crosses into chances and half-chances into goals.

For Tottenham, he would offer a new dimension in a fluid, attacking system.

For Fiorentina, he could be either Plan A or Plan B, depending on how the Zirkzee saga unfolds.

One striker, three clubs, and a deadline that will not wait. The question now is simple: whose project will Matanovic choose to lead when the window slams shut?