'Man Utd already need a Joshua Zirkzee replacement'

Cameron Smith

• 3 Sept 2024 17:30 BST
• 3 min read

Former Manchester United midfielder Owen Hargreaves doesn’t believe that Joshua Zirkzee is good enough to start for a team with aspirations of winning trophies.

Zirkzee, 23, joined the Red Devils for €42.5 million from Bologna during the summer transfer window and he scored a memorable winner against Fulham on his debut for the club.

However, while Hargreaves is a fan of the Dutchman, he isn’t convinced Man Utd will challenge for major honours if Zirkzee is their starting centre-forward.

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Hargreaves told Rio Ferdinand’s YouTube channel: “I quite like him [Zirkzee], he’s got something but he’s not a [Erling] Haaland killer who’s going to get you 40 goals.

“In our team he would have been a good squad player, he would have been the third or fourth guy but if you want to win you need a guy at the top of the pitch who is ruthless.

“I like him, I think he could be a really good player for United but the problem is they’ve got two who are really good players, [Rasmus] Hojlund and Zirkzee, but look at what Haaland’s done.

“That guy is a robot goalscorer. You need a guy who's a killer, like Ruud [van Nistelrooy].”

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What else did Owen Hargreaves say?

Zirkzee was one of five new arrivals to join Man Utd during the summer window, with INEOS prioritising a younger recruitment model than in previous years.

However, Hargreaves isn’t convinced by the Red Devils’ new transfer strategy.

“I think Man United should only sign players they think can win them the Premier League and Champions League, otherwise keep the money,” he said.

“[Leny] Yoro could be that guy. Young boy, got crazy high potential. But at the moment, United are signing a lot of guys who are like fillers.

“The best players to come through right now have been [Alejandro] Garnacho, [Kobbie] Mainoo, academy boys, so the academy is producing players.”