Vincent Kompany could now stop Manchester United signing the striker compared to Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Rasmus Hojlund didn’t exactly come cheap last summer as he made a huge move from Atalanta to Old Trafford.

The Dane showed promising signs in his first season, finishing the campaign with 16 goals in all competitions.

Hojlund should have a huge future ahead of him at United, but another option is needed up top – especially with Anthony Martial moving this summer.

The Frenchman hasn’t kicked a ball since December and that inability to use another striker, if only to rest Hojlund, has been sorely felt.

United must now find another striker to sign this summer and a number of names have already been mentioned.

Manchester United could miss out on Joshua Zirkzee

Whether it’s a newcomer such as RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko or a more proven Premier League threat in Brentford’s Ivan Toney, United have already been linked with new strikers.

Another name in the mix is ​​Joshua Zirkzee from Bologna.

The Dutchman enjoyed a strong season with Bologna, registering 11 goals and four assists in 34 games to propel Bologna into the Champions League.

Reports in Italy suggest United are particularly keen to sign Zirkzee as competition for Hojlund.

Zirkzee has been compared to Zlatan Ibrahimovic with his physical attributes complemented by a remarkable and somewhat nonchalant ability on the ball.

United may love to sign Zirkzee, but a move to Bayern Munich now looks much more likely for him.

Sport1’s Christopher Michel reports that Bayern are now considering bringing Zirkzee back to Germany.

Bayern sold Zirkzee to Bologna in 2022, but he has a buy-out clause worth around €20m (£17m), which seems like an incredible deal.

Michel suggests Bayern can now sign Zirkzee and even play him alongside Harry Kane in attack, presenting a route to first-team action at the Allianz Arena.

Vincent Kompany the key

Bayern’s release clause certainly gives them an advantage over United, but so does the appointment of Vincent Kompany.

The Belgian recently made a stunning move to become Bayern’s new boss despite relegation from the Premier League with Burnley.

Kompany will now play a part in their summer recruitment and a move to re-sign Zirkzee makes too much sense.

Zirkzee played under Kompany at Anderlecht in the 2021-22 season, scoring 18 goals in 47 appearances for Belgium.

Zirkzee even suggested in January 2023 that he would be interested in reuniting with Kompany at Burnley if the opportunity arose.

Fast forward 18 months and Zirkzee could now end up playing under Kompany at Bayern in a stunning turn of events.

That combination of a cheap buyout clause and the connection with the new manager means United will almost certainly lag behind Bayern in any battle for Zirkzee – and it may be time to focus on other targets.

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