United Prepare for Life After Zirkzee: Matanovic Emerges as Key Target
United are bracing for life after Joshua Zirkzee – and the clock is ticking.
The Dutch forward is edging towards the Old Trafford exit after a bruising spell in England that yielded just nine goals in 75 games. Talks are progressing over a move to Fiorentina, with the player pushing to leave and Serie A ready to offer a reset. As those negotiations move forward, Michael Carrick is left staring at a glaring hole at centre-forward.
United turn to towering Matanovic
Into that space steps a new name: Igor Matanovic.
At 6ft 5in, the Freiburg striker has been flagged by United as the ideal replacement, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport. The 23-year-old has just come off a breakout first season in Germany after a £6.9m switch from Eintracht Frankfurt, hitting 15 goals in all competitions and driving Julian Schuster’s side all the way to the Europa League final, where they fell short against Aston Villa.
That campaign has changed his status. He is no longer a prospect. He is a target.
United’s need is clear. Rasmus Hojlund has already been sold to Napoli, stripping the squad of another central presence. Youri Tielemans and Carlos Baleba have been bedded into midfield, but the lack of a ruthless finisher was brutally exposed in a shock 2-0 defeat to Hull City. The numbers in the middle of the pitch look healthy. The numbers in the box do not.
Spurs and Fiorentina crowd the race
United, though, are not alone at the table.
Tottenham have also moved into the frame, with Roberto De Zerbi keen to add more size and penalty-box threat to a frontline that already includes Dominic Solanke and Richarlison. For a coach obsessed with structure and patterns, Matanovic offers something different: a towering reference point who can bully centre-backs and attack crosses.
And then there is Fiorentina, complicating everything.
Fabio Grosso’s side are driving the push for Zirkzee but have also earmarked Matanovic as an alternative. La Viola are scouring the market for a replacement for Moise Kean, who is set to join Cesc Fabregas at Como. If the Zirkzee talks stall, Fiorentina are ready to pivot straight towards the Freiburg forward.
One move could kill another. Or ignite the lot.
A Fiorentina switch from Zirkzee to Matanovic would drag United and Spurs into a full-blooded three-way bidding war, with the deadline looming on Tuesday. Every phone call, every clause, every delay carries extra weight.
Loan exit could unlock United bid
For United, Zirkzee’s future is the key that unlocks everything.
Fiorentina are confident of securing the Dutchman on a season-long loan, and those negotiations are ongoing. Offloading his wages and freeing up a squad slot would give United the financial room to formalise their interest in Matanovic before the window shuts.
No exit, no nine. It is that simple.
A striker on the rise
Matanovic’s stock has risen sharply over the past year, both with Freiburg and on the international stage. He failed to score in three outings at the summer World Cup, but any doubts over his finishing have been answered at club level.
He has started the new season in ferocious form, including a brace in Freiburg’s DFB-Pokal win over Dusseldorf, underlining his readiness to step onto a bigger stage. His blend of size, aggression and penalty-box instinct has already drawn comparisons with Croatian great Mario Mandzukic.
For United, his arrival would mark a clear shift towards a more physical, confrontational presence up front – the kind of centre-forward who changes how a team attacks, and how opponents defend.
With Tottenham lurking, Fiorentina circling, and the deadline closing in, the fight for Matanovic’s signature is shaping up as one of the window’s last major battles. The question now is simple: who blinks first, and who ends up with the striker built for the spotlight?
