Manchester United could do with the transfer of Joshua Zirkzee what they did with Rasmus Hojlund

In the space of four days in August 2022, two strikers moved to Serie A clubs for a combined fee of €25.5 million. The arrival of Rasmus Hojlund at Atalanta and Joshua Zirkzee at Bologna attracted little attention outside Italy at the time.

Fast forward a few years and there is a chance that Hojlund and Zirkzee will be reunited at Manchester United. Atalanta made a £50m profit on Hojlund within a year and now Bologna are eyeing a £27m profit on Zirkzee. The similarities between the two are strong and while United’s pursuit of the 23-year-old Dutch forward makes financial sense, it will leave them with two forwards, both still learning their trade at the highest level.

A year ago, United overpaid for Hojlund, agreeing an initial £64m deal with a further £8m in add-ons. That came days after senior club officials suggested they would not go anywhere near that high. Late-night talks with Atalanta ended with that deal being agreed and he could still show value even if the striker had been available for just £15m a year earlier.

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With Zirkzee having a €40m release clause, it’s an easier deal to do with Bologna and seems a more realistic fee for a breakthrough striker, but it’s still a work in progress at the age of 23 years old. His move to Serie A came after a successful loan move to Anderlecht, with Bologna seeing enough to sign him from Bayern Munich.

Zirkzee’s potential was more visible than Hojlund’s as a young player. He moved from Feyenoord to Bayern at 16 and scored a hat-trick on his debut for Bayern’s B team, but his 17 first-team appearances for Munich yielded just four goals. Hojlund’s trajectory has been more of a slow burn, with FC Copenhagen letting him go to Sturm Graz before he began to shine in Austria.

In Serie A, however, they had similar records. Hojlund scored 10 goals in 34 games for Atalanta before moving to United, while Zirkzee has 14 goals in 58 games for Bologna, although his second season record of 12 goals in 37 games is comparable to the danish

On paper, neither’s goalscoring record suggests a striker you could describe as the finished article. United accepted that with Hojlund and the problem they had this season was that, with Anthony Martial injured, Marcus Rashford fit and no other strikers arriving, he was forced to play more often than expected, probably enduring some barren spells as a result. .

A final tally of 16 goals in 43 appearances provided plenty to work with. The 21-year-old was cruel at times, but also had moments when it looked like he was going to make the grade. He shone in the Champions League group stage and hit a purple patch between late December and mid-February.

There were also three stretches of six or more games without a goal, the kind of run that isn’t uncommon for forwards still in their prime, especially one playing on a struggling team.

Hojlund will benefit from the experience of his first year at the club and will also benefit from signing another striker, especially one with a more reliable track record than Martial. Zirkzee’s arrival will give Ten Hag two options to play through the middle with relatively similar profiles. Both are tall but quick strikers and look like they should be able to thrive in the Premier League.

If Zirkzee signs, then the challenge for Ten Hag and his coaches will be to develop them into the real deal. A year ago, Ten Hag was keen for United to sign Harry Kane and although he is a big fan of Hojlund, he made what was a more experienced striker come in and strike.

A year later, United seem to be going for a similar striker profile. Both could develop into excellent No.9s and if they are the two players tasked with delivering the goals for his side next season, he will hope that at least one of them makes significant strides.