Italian giants ‘in advanced talks’ to sign Man Utd striker Joshua Zirkzee on loan as they steal march on rivals

FIORENTINA are the frontrunners to sign Manchester United forward Joshua Zirkzee on a season-long loan. The striker, 25, has made one start under boss Michael Carrick and scored just two Premier League goals in 20 months. Joshua Zirkzee could be on his way out of Manchester United Credit: Sportsfile Fiorentina have lodged a loan offer for the striker Credit: Getty A return to Italy has been touted for former Bologna man Zirkzee since early last year and United are prepared to sanction a departure. United accept that no club is prepared to pay the £22million it would require for them to avoid a loss on Zirkzee under the Premier League’s financial fair play rules. Sign up for the Man United newsletter Thank you! The club will seek a loan fee and full coverage of Zirkzee’s £100,000-a-week salary for the entire season. United have dealt with Italian clubs numerous times in recent years and signed Sofyan Amrabat on a season-long loan from Fiorentina for £9m in 2023. Rasmus Hojlund and Scott McTominay left for Napoli in successive summers. And former United quartet Ashley Young, Matteo Darmian, Alexis Sanchez and Romelu Lukaku were members of Inter Milan’s title-winning squad in 2021. Chris Smalling was sold to Roma in 2020. Zirkzee joined United for £36.5m in 2024 but he has mustered only nine goals for the club. The Netherlands international was an unused substitute in the 2-0 defeat to Hull City last week and Carrick preferred to play winger Bryan Mbeumo up front during pre-season. Most read in Sport SUN VEGAS WELCOME OFFER: GET UP TO £100 BONUS Fiorentina finished a lowly 15th in Serie A last season and United great David De Gea remains their first-choice goalkeeper. Serie A sides Juventus and Como have also been showing an interest in negotiating a late deal for Zirkzee. But the Dutchman has been pinpointed by Fiorentina as an ideal replacement Moise Kean. And Carrick refused to rule out an exit despite revealing last week that Zirkzee has not asked to leave. Zirkzee was left on the bench against Hull Credit: Shutterstock Editorial He said: “Not to me, no. I don’t know what’s going to come out. I don’t know what’s going to come at us from elsewhere. “We can control what we can control. I’m really happy with the squad we’ve got so far, and if not, we want to improve it.” Comment now