Manchester United are edging towards a late-window gamble that could reshape their attack, with Freiburg striker Igor Matanovic emerging as a serious option if Joshua Zirkzee walks out of Old Trafford before the deadline.
This is not the window United planned to have up front. The summer blueprint was clear: fix the midfield, tidy up the squad, and leave the striker department largely untouched. On that front, they’ve been busy and decisive.
Carlos Baleba from Brighton. Youri Tielemans from Aston Villa. Andrey Santos from Chelsea. Three midfielders through the door, all tasked with giving United a new rhythm in the centre of the pitch. Behind them, Karl Darlow has arrived on a free as experienced cover in goal, while Tottenham youngster Tynan Thompson has been snapped up in a deal worth around £8m, a nod to the club’s long-term planning.
The to-do list, though, is not complete.
Zirkzee’s future triggers a rethink
For weeks, the message around Old Trafford has been consistent: left-back first, everything else second. INEOS and the football department identified that flank as the most urgent problem to solve before the window shuts.
Yet Zirkzee’s situation has changed the mood.
Ben Jacobs has made it clear that United’s hierarchy will not hesitate to move for a new No. 9 if Zirkzee leaves in the coming days. The club, he says, are “alert” to the striker market, ready to pivot quickly if the Dutchman’s future lies away from Manchester.
That possibility is no longer theoretical. Fabrizio Romano reports that Fiorentina are in “advanced talks” to sign Zirkzee, with the Serie A side turning to the Netherlands international as they reshape their own attack. Como’s move for Moise Kean has helped set the dominoes in motion, and Fiorentina are pushing.
If Zirkzee goes, United cannot simply shrug and hope. They will need a replacement. That is where Igor Matanovic comes in.
Matanovic: the Mandzukic heir on the move?
Fiorentina have not limited their gaze to Old Trafford. Gazzetta dello Sport’s Thursday print edition, relayed by Sport Witness, reveals that the Italian club are also eyeing Freiburg’s Igor Matanovic. The report describes a move for the Croatian as “difficult but not impossible” for La Viola.
The difficulty does not lie in the player’s talent. Matanovic hit 11 Bundesliga goals last season and is already being talked about in Croatia as the heir to Mario Mandzukic – a powerful, combative presence who relishes the penalty area and leads the line with a snarl.
The problem for Fiorentina is the competition.
Manchester United and Tottenham have joined the race, complicating any Italian bid. Spurs’ interest is part of their own attacking reshuffle, with Omar Marmoush expected to head to north London. That move, though, could actually clear the path for United.
If Marmoush lands at Tottenham and Fiorentina lock in on Zirkzee, United may suddenly find themselves with a cleaner run at Matanovic, a striker whose profile fits the Premier League’s physical demands and offers a different kind of threat to what they currently have.
It would not be a luxury signing. It would be a response to a hole created by Zirkzee’s potential departure.
Left-back dilemma: short-term fix or long-term plan?
While the striker situation simmers, United’s left-back conundrum continues to hang over the final days of the window.
Jacobs has outlined the options on that front as well. Alejandro Balde has been offered around, with Barcelona understood to be open to a sale at around €45 million. On paper, that is a statement signing. In practice, United are wary.
The preference from Old Trafford, according to Jacobs, is a loan deal with an option to buy, not an outright purchase. That stance is not just about budget. It is about timing.
United want to keep 2027 clear. That is when they intend to make a full-scale move for their top left-back target: Lewis Hall. The defender is not thought to be available this late in the current window, which leaves United in a strategic bind.
Do they commit big money now and potentially block a future move for Hall? Or do they bring in a stopgap, someone to plug the gap for a season or two while they wait for the moment to strike on their “ultimate lead target”?
Balde remains on the list. So do Jorge Salinas and David Raum, both offered as alternatives. Yet, as things stand, nothing has advanced. The club are watching the clock, weighing whether it is better to act now or hold their nerve.
A window on the brink
United’s summer started with clarity: reinforce midfield, tidy the squad, patch up left-back. It may end with a far more dramatic twist, shaped by Fiorentina’s pursuit of Zirkzee and the scramble for Igor Matanovic.
If Zirkzee stays, United can ride out the final days of the window with relative calm, focus on a pragmatic left-back solution, and stick to the long-term plan.
If he goes, the club will be dragged into a late striker chase, juggling the need for immediate firepower with the delicate balance of their broader rebuild.
The clock is ticking. The question now is simple: do Manchester United bend the market to their plan, or does the market force them into a move they did not intend to make?
