Fiorentina Negotiating Loan for Joshua Zirkzee from Manchester United

Fiorentina are in talks with Manchester United over a deal to take Joshua Zirkzee on loan, with an option to buy at the end of the season.

The Italian club are negotiating an initial loan until next summer, with the possibility of making the move permanent in 2026. While the clubs are not yet close to a full agreement, there is growing confidence on all sides that a deal can be completed before the 1 September transfer deadline.

Zirkzee, capped by the Netherlands and under contract at Old Trafford for another three years, is open to the move and prepared to join the Serie A side if the clubs can finalise terms.

United signed the forward from Bologna in 2024 for £36.5m after he was named Serie A's Under-23 Player of the Season for 2023-24.

He made an immediate impact with a debut goal in a 1-0 win over Fulham, hinting at a breakout spell in England.

That surge never quite materialised. Across two seasons, Zirkzee has struggled to nail down a regular starting role, managing just 27 starts in 75 appearances. Last season underlined his battle for minutes: only five Premier League starts in the 2025-26 campaign.

In total, the 25-year-old has scored nine goals in all competitions for United. Fiorentina now hope a change of scenery, and a return to a league where he once thrived, can unlock the version of Zirkzee that lit up Serie A. United, for their part, are weighing up whether this is the moment to let him go for good.