Fiorentina Leads Juventus in Zirkzee Transfer Race

Joshua Zirkzee’s Manchester United chapter is drifting towards its end, and Serie A is lining up to welcome him back. Two clubs are firmly in the picture. Only one, for now, looks ready to move.

Fiorentina and Juventus both remain keen on the former Bologna forward, but the momentum sits in Florence. Latest reports in Italy indicate La Viola are closer to striking a deal with United than their Turin rivals.

United are prepared to let the 25-year-old leave before the summer window shuts. The logic is brutal but simple: he has barely played. Zirkzee started just five Premier League games last season and did not get off the bench in United’s opening league fixture of the 2026-27 campaign, away to newly-promoted Hull City.

The return of Marcus Rashford from his loan at Barcelona has only tightened the squeeze. With Erik ten Hag’s attacking options stacked, Zirkzee has slipped further down the pecking order at Old Trafford and is searching for a way back to regular football.

Serie A knows exactly what he can offer. In 2023-24, Zirkzee hit 11 league goals for Bologna, leading the line with the kind of mobility and technical quality that quickly drew admiring glances from bigger clubs. That body of work is what keeps Juventus and Fiorentina at the table now.

Juventus, still reshaping their attack, are in the market for another forward. But there is a catch. Any serious move for Zirkzee is expected to hinge on them first finding a new club for Jonathan David. Until that happens, their interest remains conditional rather than decisive.

Fiorentina’s situation is far more urgent. Moise Kean is on the verge of joining Champions League side Como in a €40m deal, leaving a sizeable hole in Vincenzo Italiano’s front line. La Viola need a replacement who already understands Serie A and can step straight into the role.

That urgency may prove decisive. With Juventus effectively on pause while they try to sell, Fiorentina have room to accelerate talks. According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, the Tuscan club are currently in the strongest position to reach an agreement with Manchester United.

The stage is set: a striker short of minutes in England, a league where he has already convinced, and two Italian heavyweights with very different timelines. If nothing changes, the path back to Italy looks increasingly purple.