Juventus Targets Joshua Zirkzee After Kolo Muani Deal Stalls
Joshua Zirkzee has become the new focal point of Juventus’ striker hunt after their move for Randal Kolo Muani hit a wall with Paris Saint-Germain.
The Manchester United forward, 25, slipped down the pecking order at Old Trafford last season, starting only five Premier League games under Ruben Amorim and Michael Carrick. For a player once signed as a centrepiece of United’s attack, it has been a sharp and unforgiving comedown.
Now, Italy is calling again.
Juventus pivot from Kolo Muani to Zirkzee
Juventus had been pushing to bring in Kolo Muani from PSG after the France international’s underwhelming loan spell at Tottenham. Talks dragged. The fee became a problem. Negotiations stalled.
Juve lost patience.
With the clock ticking on their rebuild up front, the Turin club turned decisively towards Zirkzee, identifying him as their new No9 target. SunSport understands Juventus are leading the race to land him on loan with a £30million option to buy.
Roma’s long-standing interest has not disappeared, but Juventus have moved with far greater urgency and are now regarded as the most serious contender for his signature.
A forward at a crossroads
Zirkzee’s numbers at United tell their own story: nine goals in 75 appearances for the Red Devils. Flashes of quality, but no sustained run, no season that truly belonged to him.
He has struggled for rhythm, for confidence, and for a defined role. Benjamin Sesko and Mateus Cunha now sit ahead of him in the hierarchy, while Marcus Rashford could yet return to the fold and further crowd the attacking positions. For a striker entering what should be his prime years, the message is clear: he is expendable.
United are prepared to accept a loan with a £30m buy option, despite paying around £36.5m to sign him in 2024. Club officials view that figure as a fair reflection of his current value after his failure to deliver consistent performances.
Serie A, again, and a better fit
For Zirkzee, the prospect of Juventus is not a leap into the unknown. It is a return to a league that suits him.
He knows Serie A well from a season on loan at Parma and two years at Bologna. The tempo, the tactical structure, the emphasis on combination play – all of it aligns more naturally with his game than the frantic demands he has faced at Old Trafford.
He views the Italian top flight as a better tactical fit and, crucially, as the right stage to restart his career. Sources indicate his camp have responded positively to Juventus’ approach, and the player is keen on a move to the Allianz Stadium.
Juve’s urgency up front
Juventus’ need is obvious. Dusan Vlahovic has left the club on a free transfer, stripping them of their primary reference point in attack. Jonathan David, brought in to score, has laboured badly, finishing last season with just six goals in 35 Serie A appearances.
Goals have dried up, and with them, the sharp edge that once defined Juventus in the final third.
Zirkzee is not a guaranteed solution. His record in England is modest, and he still has to prove he can carry the weight of a major club’s attack. But his profile – technical, intelligent, comfortable linking play – offers Juve something different and, they believe, something they can build around.
Roma remain in the background, watching, waiting. Yet as things stand, Juventus are the club pushing hardest, the club prepared to give Zirkzee the central role he has been denied in Manchester.
For player and club alike, this feels like a defining decision: does Zirkzee stay and fight for scraps at Old Trafford, or does he step back into Serie A to try to become the striker United thought they were buying?
