Juventus Targets Joshua Zirkzee for Summer Move
Joshua Zirkzee has given Juventus the green light. Now the real work begins in Turin.
According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, the Manchester United forward has provided initial approval for a summer move to the Bianconeri, with Juventus pushing for a loan deal and stepping up negotiations with his agent, Kia Joorabchian. The talks are described as intense. They need to be. Juventus are trying to rebuild an attack on the fly.
And Zirkzee is only half of the plan.
Zirkzee, a long-standing target
This is not a name plucked from a list at the last minute. New football director Ricky Massara has been tracking Zirkzee for some time and even tried to sign him for Roma in the winter window. That move never materialised, but the admiration never cooled.
The Dutchman’s numbers at Bologna still resonate in Serie A: 12 goals and seven assists in the 2023-24 campaign. That season showcased the full range of his qualities – a modern, technically polished forward who links play, drops between the lines, and can finish. In Italy, he looked at home.
England has been a different story. Since his move to the Premier League, Zirkzee has struggled to impose himself, losing his regular starting role and managing just 19 starts across 68 league appearances over the last two seasons. The talent is not in doubt, but the rhythm and confidence of a guaranteed starter have been missing.
Juventus believe they can restore that version of him. His profile is seen as a natural fit for Luciano Spalletti’s system, which leans heavily on a forward capable of combining, creating, and pressing with intelligence rather than simply attacking the box.
Double move: Zirkzee and Kolo Muani
The pressure in the Juventus boardroom is not just about Zirkzee. While they work United for a loan agreement, they are also driving hard for Paris Saint-Germain’s Randal Kolo Muani.
Gazzetta reports that CEO Giovanni Carnevali is working to close a €40 million deal for the France international from PSG. It is an aggressive play, and it needs to be. An injury to young Italian striker Jeff Ekhator has sharpened the urgency to reinforce the frontline.
The idea is clear: blend Zirkzee’s technique with Kolo Muani’s pace and direct running. One to knit moves together, the other to stretch defences and attack space. Juventus are convinced that pairing the two would give Spalletti a far more dynamic and unpredictable attack than last season’s often blunt edge.
If they pull it off, the front line suddenly looks very different – not just deeper, but built for a more ambitious style of football.
Spalletti waits, the clock ticks
All of this unfolds against a familiar backdrop in Turin: time is short, expectations are not.
Spalletti is waiting for clarity from the board on when these deals will be completed. Every day matters. Juventus want their core squad in place quickly so that the new signings can bed in during pre-season, learn the movements, and absorb the tactical demands before the real pressure starts.
There will be little margin for error once the campaign begins. Juventus open their Serie A season away to newly-promoted Frosinone on August 23, a fixture that looks gentle on paper but can easily turn awkward if a half-built team is still searching for cohesion.
For now, the plan is bold, the targets are clear, and the signals from Zirkzee are positive. The next few weeks will show whether Juventus can turn that intent into signatures – and whether this rebuilt attack can carry them back to where the club expects to be.
