Winners and losers of Joshua Zirkzee's transfer to Man Utd

Jacque Talbot

• 14 Jul 2024 10:21 CDT
• 3 min read

Manchester United have signed striker Joshua Zirkzee - but who will benefit from this and for who will it be a detriment?

This transfer marks the first capture of several names Man Utd are looking at, with head coach Erik ten Hag continuing to tap into his Dutch connections to strengthen the squad.

Zirkzee netted ten league goals last season and is expected to now come in and offer the Red Devils a large attacking threat going forward.

Winner - Erik ten Hag

Indeed, Ten Hag emerges as a significant winner from this deal. Despite the reports that the former Ajax man has taken a backseat in transfers, Zirkzee, a physical No.9, is very much in his mould. Ten Hag's inclination towards players from his homeland is well-founded but it has so far been a mixed bag.

For every Lisandro Martinez, there is one Antony. Even still, the Bologna forward will add to the club’s attacking options and align with Ten Hag's vision of building a team capable of competing on all fronts next season.

Loser - Rasmus Hojlund

On the flip side, Rasmus Hojlund could see his game time significantly reduced. The young striker, who joined Man Utd from Atalanta last season, might find himself further down the pecking order with Zirkzee's arrival. Anthony Martial left the club as a free agent so there is a room, but if Zirkzee hits the ground running, Hojlund's development could be impacted.

Winner - Chelsea

Chelsea will indirectly benefit from this transfer. AC Milan, who were interested in Zirkzee, may now turn their focus to Chelsea's Armando Broja, who is available to leave Stamford Bridge. With Milan missing out on Zirkzee, the path is clearer for Chelsea to negotiate a deal for Broja with the Serie A giants. This would also give them the funds they need to continue their lavish spending in the window.

Current ETV

Joshua Zirkzee

F (C)

Bologna

Joshua Zirkzee

F (C)

Bologna

€20.6M

ETV Range

€15.5M - €25.8M

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Loser - Bologna

For Bologna, Zirkzee's departure is a significant blow. The club recently qualified for the UEFA Champions League for the first time since the 1964/65 season but they now face a challenging period of transition.

Losing their key striker Zirkzee, along with the departure of coach Thiago Motta to Juventus and Riccardo Calafiori to Arsenal means that they are weaker than last term and will need to be active in the window to ensure they keep their trajectory up.