Manchester United Eye Mandzukic Heir Matanovic as Zirkzee Exit Looms
Manchester United’s summer was supposed to be about rebuilding the spine of their midfield. It still is – but a late twist in the window has dragged a centre-forward back onto the agenda.
With Joshua Zirkzee attracting serious interest from both the Premier League and Serie A, United have joined Tottenham and Fiorentina in the race for Freiburg striker Igor Matanovic, according to multiple reports.
Zirkzee domino could trigger late No.9 move
INEOS went into this window with a clear plan: fix the middle of the pitch. Carlos Baleba from Brighton, Youri Tielemans from Aston Villa and Andrey Santos from Chelsea have all arrived to reshape United’s engine room.
They have also quietly tidied up elsewhere. Karl Darlow has come in on a free as back-up goalkeeper. Young goalkeeper Tynan Thompson has been prised from Tottenham in a deal worth around £8m.
The expectation around Old Trafford was that any further business would be opportunistic: a left-back if the right one emerged, maybe a left-winger, and only then a striker. Left-back, insiders stressed, remained the most realistic area for late reinforcement.
That stance shifts if Zirkzee goes.
Ben Jacobs has made it clear that INEOS will not hesitate to sanction a move for a new No.9 if the Dutchman leaves before the deadline. Speaking to Betway Insider, Jacobs said United are “alert” to the possibility of bringing in a striker, with the urgency ramping up “in the final hours or days of the window” if Zirkzee’s situation changes.
The situation is changing.
With Como closing in on Moise Kean, Fiorentina have moved into what Fabrizio Romano describes as “advanced talks” to sign Zirkzee from United. If that deal is pushed over the line, United’s forward plans flip instantly from long-term thinking to emergency action.
Matanovic in demand – and in the Mandzukic mould
That is where Igor Matanovic comes in.
Fiorentina have already identified the Freiburg forward as a target, with Thursday’s print edition of Gazzetta dello Sport, relayed by Sport Witness, describing a move as “difficult but not impossible” for the Serie A club.
The difficulty has a name: the Premier League.
Interest from Manchester United and Tottenham has complicated Fiorentina’s pursuit of the 21-year-old, who scored 11 Bundesliga goals last season and is already being talked about in Croatia as the “heir to Mario Mandzukic” – a physical, hard-running No.9 who can occupy defenders and finish ruthlessly.
The market dynamics are shifting fast. With Omar Marmoush heading towards Tottenham and Fiorentina now pushing hard for Zirkzee, United may suddenly find a clearer run at Matanovic than they expected. If Zirkzee walks out of Old Trafford, the path to his potential successor becomes a lot more open.
Left-back search: Balde, loans and a long play for Lewis Hall
While the striker situation threatens to erupt late, United’s left-back hunt continues in a more calculated way.
Jacobs has outlined the club’s thinking there too. Alejandro Balde has been offered around, with Barcelona understood to be open to an exit at around €45m. On paper, that’s a headline signing. In reality, United’s hierarchy are wary of locking themselves in.
The preference, according to Jacobs, is a loan – ideally with an option to buy – rather than a straight permanent deal. The reason is strategic: they want room to move in 2027 if they decide to go all out for their long-term top target, Lewis Hall.
Hall is not expected to be available this late in the window, which leaves United weighing up a familiar dilemma. Do they commit serious money now and potentially block a future move, or bring in a stopgap and keep their powder dry for the player they really want next year?
Balde remains one to watch in that context, but as things stand, nothing has moved forward. United have also been offered Jorge Salinas and David Raum as alternative options on the left, options that would clearly sit in the “stopgap” category rather than reshape the position for years.
So United stand at a crossroads on two fronts: a left-back decision that could shape their 2027 plans, and a centre-forward call that might have to be made in a matter of days.
If Zirkzee does go and Matanovic is there for the taking, do they hesitate – or do they back the Mandzukic heir to lead the next phase of the Old Trafford rebuild?
