Manchester United Pursues Matanovic as Zirkzee Future Uncertain

Manchester United’s summer rebuild was supposed to be clear and controlled. Midfield first, everything else later. Now, as the transfer window ticks towards its final days, the plan is fraying at the edges – and a 21-year-old Freiburg striker is suddenly right in the middle of it.

Igor Matanovic, fresh off an 11-goal Bundesliga season and already being tagged in Croatia as the “heir to Mario Mandzukic”, has drawn United into a three-way fight with Tottenham and Fiorentina. What began as a window built around structure and patience is veering into a classic late scramble.

Midfield done, questions up front

INEOS and the United hierarchy moved quickly where they felt the squad was weakest. Carlos Baleba from Brighton, Youri Tielemans from Aston Villa and Andrey Santos from Chelsea have given Erik ten Hag a very different midfield to work with.

Karl Darlow has arrived as a back-up goalkeeper on a free, a steady, low-risk move. Tynan Thompson, the highly regarded youngster from Tottenham, cost around £8m and fits the longer-term planning.

On paper, that should have been the spine sorted. The next step, as briefed for weeks, was a left-back. Maybe a left-winger. Possibly a striker. The left-back, insiders kept stressing, was the likeliest to happen.

Then Joshua Zirkzee’s situation changed.

Zirkzee domino threatens to topple United’s plan

United’s stance on a new No 9 has been blunt: no departure, no signing. But as interest in Zirkzee has hardened, that line has started to wobble.

Ben Jacobs, speaking to Betway Insider, underlined the mood at Old Trafford. United see left-back as the priority, but they are “alert” to the need for a striker if Zirkzee goes. If he stays, they can sit tight. If he leaves in the final hours, the pressure spikes.

That pressure is building from Italy. With Como closing in on Moise Kean, Fiorentina have turned to Zirkzee and, according to Fabrizio Romano, are now in “advanced talks” to take the Netherlands international from Old Trafford.

Should that deal cross the line, United will not have the luxury of time. They will need a forward, fast.

Enter Matanovic – with Spurs and Fiorentina in the way

This is where Matanovic comes into sharp focus. Thursday’s print edition of Gazzetta dello Sport, relayed by Sport Witness, describes a move to Fiorentina as “difficult but not impossible” for the Freiburg striker.

The problem for the Serie A club is no longer just the fee or Freiburg’s stance. It is the company in the race.

Tottenham and Manchester United have both registered interest, complicating Fiorentina’s pursuit. Matanovic’s 11 Bundesliga goals last season have not gone unnoticed, nor has the way he carries himself in the box – aggressive, direct, with the kind of penalty-area presence Croatia once saw in Mandzukic.

The dynamics are shifting quickly. Omar Marmoush is heading towards Tottenham, clearing one path. Fiorentina are going hard for Zirkzee, which could open another.

If Zirkzee does leave, United suddenly have a clean run at Matanovic. No need to sell him a project from the bench. No need to explain away a crowded forward line. They would have a vacancy at No 9 and a striker whose profile fits the physical, penalty-box threat they have been missing.

The question is whether they are willing to move decisively enough in the chaos of the final days.

The left-back puzzle: Balde now, Lewis Hall later?

While the forward situation threatens to ignite, United’s left-back search remains a slow burn.

Jacobs has outlined a delicate balancing act. Barcelona have made it known that Alejandro Balde is available for around €45m. That is a significant fee, but a rare opportunity for a club needing quality in that position.

United, though, are wary of locking themselves in. Their long-term top target at left-back is Lewis Hall. They see 2027 as a key year to make a serious move for him and do not want to close that door with a huge permanent deal now.

The preferred solution? A loan. Ideally for Balde, with an option to buy rather than an obligation. It would give United cover now, flexibility later, and the freedom to go after Hall when the timing and market align.

For the moment, nothing is advanced. Balde is one to watch, not one to announce. Other names have been pushed their way: Jorge Salinas, David Raum. Options, not yet priorities.

United’s decision-makers face a clear dilemma. Do they commit real money to a permanent left-back this summer, or bring in a stopgap and keep their powder dry for Hall next year?

A window on the edge

So United stand here: midfield strengthened, a back-up goalkeeper in, a young defender added. A left-back search defined by caution, not panic. A striker plan that hinges entirely on whether Zirkzee stays or goes.

If Fiorentina close the Zirkzee deal and Tottenham finalise Marmoush, the board at Old Trafford will have a stark choice. Do they step into the market and trust Matanovic to carry the weight of the No 9 shirt, or ride out the season with what they have?

The window is almost out of breath. United can’t afford to be.