Manchester United watched on as Christian Eriksen and Rasmus Hojlund's Denmark crashed out of Euro 2024 against hosts Germany on Saturday evening, with the Red Devils' 21-year-old striker unable to find the back of the net across his four appearances.
ITV pundits Roy Keane and Ian Wright were particularly scathing in their post-match comments directed at Hojlund after Germany secured a 2-0 victory to advance to the quarter-finals, with Wright noting after Hojlund squandered a glorious chance: "You talk about a player improving and learning new things but that is something you should know right from the start."
Hojlund is a talented player, signed to Man United from Atalanta for £72m last summer after scoring ten goals from 34 matches in Italy. Still only 21, the Dane has it all to come. Ruben Selles, who has previously worked with Hojlund, once hailed him a "mentality monster", with the quality and determination to succeed at the highest level.
Often isolated and carrying the hulking weight of a club struggling to perform last season, Hojlund needs support. He needs a strike partner with the skills to boost his own. Fabrizio Romano might know a guy.
Man Utd transfer news
Several days ago, Romano has provided an update – via GIVEMESPORT – on Manchester United's pursuit of Joshua Zirkzee, revealing that Erik ten Hag and Co are aware of AC Milan's falter in their bid for the Bologna striker.
Now, Sky Sports are claiming that United are currently holding positive talks with Zirkzee's representatives, though with Arsenal and Juventus also interested they might need to ramp up the gas.
United are desperate to sign a forward to provide competition to and complement Hojlund at No. 9, and the €40m (£34m) star, with his dynamic skill set and creative style, could be the dream addition.
Joshua Zirkzee's 23/24 season in numbers
Zirkzee signed for Bologna from Bayern Munich for a reported fee of €8.5m (roughly £7m) back in 2022, having shown glimpses of prodigious talent in Bavaria but suffered the misfortune of being an aspiring talent among many at one of the globe's most prestigious footballing institutions.
His first season in Serie A didn't quite go to plan, only finding a starting berth on five occasions due to issues settling in and injuries. But the 23-year-old undoubtedly bloomed into life under Thiago Motta's leadership last term, instrumental in Bologna's surprise Champions League qualification.
Matches played
19
34
Matches started
5
32
Goals
2
11
Assists
2
5
Big chances missed
4
4
Big chances created
2
11
Pass completion
78%
78%
Key passes per game
0.8
1.3
Dribbles per game
0.8
1.5
Recoveries per game
2.1
3.0
Duels won per game
2.2
4.1
It's quite remarkable how Zirkzee raised his game across almost every metric in the Italian top flight last term, and while his haul of 11 goals from 34 matches is nothing special – Hojlund, for example, bagged 10 Premier League goals from 25 starts – he only missed four big chances.
Four big chances missed, 11 goals scored. Not bad. The £19k-per-week star has the mark of a clinical forward and with the likes of Bruno Fernandes, who averaged a stunning 3.3 key passes per Premier League match last season, behind him, there's every chance that he will raise that bar and then some.
Imagine Joshua Zirkzee & Rasmus Hojlund
Analyst Ben Mattinson said that Zirkzee is "6'4" but he turns like he's 5'9", loves a Cruyff turn", with the Dutchman's breezy gait and elite spatial awareness allowing him to play an important, multi-talented role for his side.
Shot-creating actions
3.71
Top 21%
Pass completion
77.4%
Top 18%
Progressive passes
2.81
Top 17%
Successful take-ons
1.70
Top 11%
Ball recoveries
3.36
Top 18%
Tackles
1.04
Top 19%
Clearances
1.17
Top 20%
While Zirkzee might not be a player who will hit the giddying goal tallies of Erling Haaland and Harry Kane, he's endowed with a kind of sweeping style that sees those around him flourish.
He might not have the goalscoring numbers of Kane, yes, but Zirkzee cuts a similar figure, with Mattinson even remarking that the Netherlands native is "stylistically so similar" to the Three Lions captain.
Zirkzee, then, could be the perfect man to unlock Hojlund, send him to the next level. The Kobenhavn-born striker was isolated at the Theatre of Dreams last season as Ten Hag's system failed to inspire, taking just 1.3 shots per game across the campaign.
Moreover, Man United were left red-faced after creating just 60 big chances in the Premier League, ranking them joint-13th at the end, alongside Bournemouth and behind Everton.
That statistic is clearly at variance with Fernandes' playmaking prowess noted earlier, but Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Co will hope that the 2023/24 campaign was something of an anomaly, with Ten Hag's United creating the third-most big chances in the division (84) the season before.
Hojlund, of course, did not ply his trade in Greater Manchester at that point, but there's no question that having scored 16 goals from 43 matches in all competitions, despite being recorded to have received the fewest passers of any main Premier League centre-forward back in December, emphasising the gravity of his side's issues.
His brilliant purple patch throughout the winter months highlighted the quality that United paid for, but he still shockingly ranks among the bottom 5% of centre-forwards across Europe over the past year for shots taken per 90. That is staggering, but a profile such as Zirkzee's could temper the issue considerably.
Shocking injury issues and devastating nosedives in form led to a bitter campaign that, albeit, was saved with triumph in the FA Cup, but now, extensive improvements must be displayed, and Zirkzee could be the man to ensure such success.
His silky-smooth touch and natural-born creativity set him in good stead to succeed on English shores, serving as a conduit of sorts to connect the midfield and the attack, where Hojlund will linger as the spearhead.
Zirkzee, indeed, is experienced in playing off the centre-forward in a kind of supplementary role, fostering his playmaking, interconnecting style of play and enhancing the overall fluency of his squad.
Therefore, with Hojlund desperate to find a degree of service to fit his exciting potential as a young striker, Zirkzee could be the perfect man for the job. After all, he's even been described as a "special" player by Motta, with a unique approach that would pay dividends for Old Trafford and its Man United team.
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