Fiorentina Leads Juventus in Joshua Zirkzee Transfer Race
Joshua Zirkzee’s Manchester United career is drifting towards the exit door, and Serie A is queuing up to welcome him back. Two clubs lead that line. One of them, for now, is moving with far greater urgency.
Fiorentina and Juventus both remain in the hunt for the Dutch forward, but the momentum sits firmly in Florence. Reports in Italy suggest La Viola are significantly closer to an agreement with Manchester United, who are ready to cut ties before the transfer window closes.
United’s stance is clear. Zirkzee has barely figured over the last two seasons and sits well down Erik ten Hag’s attacking hierarchy. Last term, he started only five Premier League matches. On the opening weekend of the 2026-27 campaign, away at newly-promoted Hull City, he didn’t even get off the bench.
The picture has only grown more crowded. Marcus Rashford is back from his loan spell at Barcelona, reclaiming a central role in United’s forward line and pushing Zirkzee even further towards the margins at Old Trafford.
Serie A, though, remembers a different version of the 25-year-old. In 2023-24 with Bologna, he hit 11 league goals and looked every inch a modern centre-forward: mobile, technical, and dangerous between the lines. That season turned him into a prized asset in Italy, and it is that memory driving this renewed tug of war.
Juventus have kept Zirkzee on their shortlist as they look to add another attacker to their squad. But there is a catch. Any serious move from Turin depends on outgoings, with the club needing to find a new home for Jonathan David before they can truly commit to a deal. Until that happens, their interest remains conditional, not decisive.
Fiorentina’s situation is the opposite. They need a striker now.
Moise Kean is on his way to Como in a €40m move, a significant sale that leaves a sizeable gap at the top of the pitch. With an Italy international departing for a Champions League project on the lake, Fiorentina require an immediate replacement capable of leading the line in Serie A from day one.
That urgency has shifted the balance. According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Fiorentina are currently in the strongest position to strike a deal with Manchester United, armed with both a clear tactical need and fresh funds from Kean’s impending transfer.
Juventus watch. Fiorentina push. United wait for the right offer.
Zirkzee’s next decision will say plenty about his ambitions: another shot at prominence in Italy, and whether that stage is painted purple in Florence or black and white in Turin.
