Manchester United Pursue Heir to Mandzukic Amid Zirkzee Exit
Manchester United went into this window with a clear script: fix the midfield, tidy up the squad, and leave the heavy lifting in attack for another day. The market has refused to stick to that plan.
With Joshua Zirkzee’s future at Old Trafford suddenly in play and Fiorentina pushing hard, United now find themselves dragged into a late scramble for one of the Bundesliga’s most intriguing No. 9s: Freiburg striker Igor Matanovic.
Midfield done, but the picture has changed
United’s hierarchy, led by INEOS, moved decisively in the middle of the pitch. Carlos Baleba arrived from Brighton, Youri Tielemans from Aston Villa, and Andrey Santos from Chelsea, reshaping the core of Erik ten Hag’s options.
Karl Darlow came in on a free to bolster the goalkeeping department. Tottenham youngster Tynan Thompson followed for around £8m, a nod to the future as much as the present.
The expectation was simple: if there were to be any more big moves, they would most likely come at left-back, maybe a left-winger. A striker was not supposed to be the headline act of United’s final days of the window.
Then Zirkzee’s situation shifted.
Zirkzee to Fiorentina opens up the market
Interest in Zirkzee has been bubbling all summer. Now it is reaching boiling point. With Como closing in on Moise Kean, Fiorentina have turned up the heat on a deal for the Netherlands international, with Fabrizio Romano reporting that the Serie A club are in advanced talks to sign him from United.
That development has forced United to re-open a file they had hoped to leave closed.
Ben Jacobs has made it clear that INEOS will sanction a move for a new centre-forward if, and only if, Zirkzee goes. The club are “alert” to the possibility of bringing in a No. 9, but will not allow themselves to be backed into a corner.
“A left-back seems to be the priority,” Jacobs told Betway Insider. “They’ll be alert also to a No. 9, and if Joshua Zirkzee goes, that also becomes more pressing in the final hours or days of the window, and yet, if Manchester United can’t reinforce, then they obviously have the ability not to sanction a move.”
United, in other words, will not sell without a safety net. Matanovic could be that net.
Matanovic: the ‘heir to Mandzukic’ in demand
Fiorentina’s radar is not fixed solely on Zirkzee. Gazzetta dello Sport’s Thursday print edition, relayed by Sport Witness, reports that the Italian side are also looking closely at Freiburg’s Igor Matanovic.
The Croatian forward hit 11 Bundesliga goals last season and has been tagged in his homeland as the “heir to Mario Mandzukic” – a big frame, a direct style, and a ruthless streak in the box.
Gazzetta describe a move to Fiorentina as “difficult but not impossible.” The difficulty stems from the competition. Manchester United and Tottenham are both in the frame, complicating any straightforward path to Florence.
The dynamics, though, might be shifting in United’s favour. With Omar Marmoush moving towards Tottenham and Fiorentina focusing their firepower on Zirkzee, United could find a clearer run at Matanovic if they decide to move.
The question is whether they turn interest into action before the window slams shut.
Left-back: Balde, loans and the long game for Lewis Hall
While the striker situation threatens to explode late, left-back remains the most carefully watched position at Old Trafford.
Jacobs has outlined a delicate balancing act. Barcelona have been offering Alejandro Balde around, with the Catalan club understood to be open to an exit at around €45m. On the face of it, that’s a marquee solution to a long-standing issue.
United, though, are thinking longer term.
“Manchester United may be more inclined, though, to do a loan, and part of that is to give themselves freedom in 2027 if they want to make an assault on their top target, Lewis Hall,” Jacobs explained.
Hall, currently not thought to be available this late in the window, sits at the top of United’s long-term left-back wishlist. That reality forces a strategic choice: commit big money now, or bring in a stopgap and keep the door open for a major move in a year’s time.
“But Balde is one possibility,” Jacobs added. “I’m just told if Manchester United move, they would prefer to have a loan and potentially an option to buy, as opposed to an outright sale. That could still be one to watch between now and the end of the window.
“Nothing has advanced, though, and they’ve been offered Jorge Salinas and David Raum as another option left back.”
So the boardroom dilemma is clear. A loan for Balde with an option to buy. A shorter-term solution like Salinas or Raum. Or no move at all, and a gamble on fitness and form in a demanding season.
United’s window on a knife-edge
United’s summer was supposed to be about control and structure. Midfield rebuilt, depth added, and a methodical approach to the rest.
Instead, the final stretch is loaded with jeopardy.
If Zirkzee leaves and Matanovic slips away to Tottenham or Fiorentina, United could head into the season lighter up front than they planned. If they misjudge the left-back situation, they might find themselves returning to the same problem in a year, but from a weaker position.
INEOS have promised discipline and clear thinking in the market. The next few days will show whether that discipline can survive the chaos of late-window opportunity – and whether the “heir to Mandzukic” ends up leading the line at Old Trafford or tormenting them from afar.
