Fiorentina Leads Race for Zirkzee Over Juventus

Fiorentina have moved into pole position to sign Joshua Zirkzee from Manchester United, nudging ahead of Juventus in the chase to bring the Dutch forward back to Serie A.

United are ready to let the 25-year-old leave before the end of the summer window after two flat years at Old Trafford. Zirkzee started only five Premier League games last season and did not get off the bench in United’s opening fixture of the 2026-27 campaign against newly promoted Hull City.

His path to minutes has narrowed again. Marcus Rashford has returned from his loan spell at Barcelona, adding another obstacle in an already crowded attacking department and pushing Zirkzee even further down the pecking order.

Serie A remembers a different version of him. In 2023-24, Zirkzee hit 11 league goals for Bologna, a season that turned him into one of the most intriguing forwards in Italy and convinced bigger clubs to keep him on their radar.

That memory is now driving this tug-of-war.

Juventus want another attacker, but they are boxed in by their own squad. Any move for Zirkzee hinges on finding a new club for Jonathan David first, a process that slows their pursuit and leaves them working against the clock.

Fiorentina’s situation is far more urgent. Moise Kean is on his way out, set to join Champions League side Como in a €40m deal, and La Viola need a replacement who can walk straight into the side. Zirkzee fits the profile: proven in Serie A, technically sharp, and still young enough to grow.

That urgency may prove decisive. According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Fiorentina are currently in the strongest position to strike an agreement with Manchester United, with their need for an immediate solution contrasting sharply with Juventus’s wait-to-sell reality.

Two Italian clubs want the same striker. One must sell before it buys. The other has a €40m hole in attack to fill. Zirkzee’s next move is starting to look like Florence rather than Turin.