What does Joshua Zirkzee bring from Bologna to Manchester United?

It looks like Serie A side Bologna could soon lose two of the jewels of their iconic 2023/24 season. While Riccardo Calafiori is closing in on a move to Arsenal, Joshua Zirkzee appears to be closing in on a move to the Gunners’ arch-rivals Manchester United.

The move, to be fully true to Zirkzee’s style of play and Manchester United’s approach under Erik ten Hag, will raise eyebrows. Zirkzee himself is an eyebrow-raising prospect in his own right, as he always seems to carry himself with a sense of authority and control and plays the game as if he genuinely relishes the idea of ​​having the ball at his feet. The Dutchman, who has spent loan spells from Bayern Munich to Parma and Anderlecht, has had a bit of a journey in the game and that may have turned him into the leader-like character he is today.

The 2023/24 season was incredible for Bologna, as under Thiago Motta they qualified for the Champions League for the first time since 1964/65, following an approach based on numerical superiority in midfield and building from the back and progressing. quickly through the lines. Along the way, the Rossoblu picked up some huge results against the likes of Napoli, Roma, Lazio and even held the Milan clubs to a draw.

While Motta has now become known for a style of play that emphasizes numerical superiority and verticality, his past experiences have made him versatile enough to use different formations depending on the available players and the opposition. He also showed a keen eye for identifying the right players for his system, ensuring the likes of Zirkzee, Calafiori, Jhon Lucumi, Dan Ndoye and Sam Beukema thrived. Curiously, all of the aforementioned players have moved up a level below Motta, witnessing a career growth spurt that perhaps wasn’t expected at all.

This happened because the specific traits of many Bologna players were adapted for Motta’s approach and vice versa (case in point: Alexis Saelemakers’ running ability was put to great use at Bologna after a poor spell at Milan).

Zirkzee can recognize this as he has expressed his gratitude to Motta for taking his career up several notches. His words to Corriere della Sera recently suggested that while he sees himself as an entertainer, he is also equally focused on the greater good of the team.

“I want people to have fun when they come to see me. But more than individually, it’s better to impress the stadium as a team, the way we play.”

In the same interview, he revealed how Motta’s custom setup allowed him to thrive and transformed his movement. He also went on to clearly suggest that he is not a pure striker and sees himself as a nine-and-a-half.

“Now, on the pitch, my movements are different. He gave me freedom, he allows me to play football as I see fit. I have a certain skill, it gives me the confidence to increase it: a great feeling.”

“I’m not a pure center forward. I said a year ago that I like to play with an attacking partner. But Motta turned me into a 9 and a half. I’m not an Arnautovic, I like to come to, play the ball, help the team. And he scores goals.”

With Motta now at Juventus and Zirkzee set to play under a different manager, he will embark on a whole new journey. For a player who isn’t quite a number nine and can’t connect with his team-mates and has admitted himself that playing alongside another striker would certainly help, United would like to have a set-up that suits him.

That being said, I just don’t. Rasmus Højlund is a true number nine in the box, and while he too enjoys wide combinations and has shown signs of excellent connection, Zirkzee isn’t quite that presence in the box. Having such a player requires a major tactical change, which either sees Zirkzee operating as a deep-lying forward and him working alongside another number nine operating inside the box.

It is vital for United that Erik ten Hag is still the manager, largely because the Dutchman has a history of using different types of number nines and generally does not stick to one type of centre-forward. On top of that, he has shown that he can adapt his system to player profiles and even United have seen this quality in him. Someone like Zirkzee would see that as a positive and it would have been a problem for him if United’s manager was someone who used a very specific system and didn’t stray from it.

Zirkzee didn’t play much on paper at Bologna, he certainly has the skills to take on defenders, beat them and then provide passes in the final third. He might not be someone who sits wide, but he would always come inside and work like inside before and add that numerical superiority that even someone like Ten Hag would want. On top of that, the Dutchman is a bit of a rare profile due to his height and the fact that he still boasts supreme technical ability.

It would make limited sense to sign Zirkzee for a big fee and then use him as a backup for a striker who is of a different profile. The best outcome of the move for United would be to see Zirkzee as a profile that offers more than goals, knows how numerical superiority works and knows how to beat a man.

It’s a quandary, but Zirkzee’s unique profile will help them push their current setup forward, or maybe have a new setup altogether. Ten Hag’s system last season was often dysfunctional at best, turning games against even the worst teams in the Premier League into games of basketball, and United were usually very open during transitions and when a team beat the press. They have often lacked control in possession, but Zirkzee understands how a controlled style of play works and adds that net positive to a team that desperately wants more technically blessed players like him.