The Dutchman has completed a move to Old Trafford following the pivotal role he played in a surprise Champions League push
Marko Arnautovic's move to Inter at the start of this past season was a massive blow for Bologna. The Austrian attacker had been their talisman for two seasons, and it was felt his goals would be sorely missed. His supposed successor, meanwhile, didn't look up to the task of leading the line.
Joshua Zirkzee had scored just two goals in his first season in Serie A and there were legitimate doubts among the fans and in the press over his attitude. Not even his coach was convinced – and yet nine months on, Thiago Motta was labelling Zirkzee a "leader" and compared him to one of his former Barcelona team-mates.
“He said that his idols are [Zlatan] Ibrahimovic and [Gabriel] Batistuta, who are two excellent players, but, seeing him day to day, he reminds me of the Ronaldinho I played with at Barcelona," Motta told . "But I cannot compare him to anyone. He is just Joshua, and he is special."
It's a view that was seemingly shared by scouts from Manchester United, Arsenal, AC Milan and Juventus, making Zirkzee one of the most coveted players on the transfer market this summer. It is United, however, who have won the race for the 23-year-old after agreeing to pay in excess of his €40 million (£33.5m/$43.5m) release clause.
As such, GOAL is here to tell you everything you need to know about the former Bayern Munich prodigy who belatedly realised his world-class potential in Bologna…
Where it all began
Zirkzee was born in Schiedam, a city just west of Rotterdam, to a Nigerian mother and Dutch father who supported his dream to become a footballer from a very young age. He had "no Plan B", as he recently admitted in an interview with the . Luckily for him, he couldn't really have been born in a better place. Indeed, when a journalist put it to him that he was a "spectacular" player, Zirkzee replied, "I'm just 'Dutch' – that's probably the most accurate description."
Zirkzee sees himself as a product of the "Johan Cruyff courts", a street footballer, pure and simple. "I think what the United States has with basketball courts, we have in Holland with the five-a-side pitches," he told the . "It makes you tough, you have to be smarter, you have to find a way to keep up with guys that are bigger and stronger than you. I learned on the streets – and that's where creativity comes to life."
Given his stellar dedication and education, it didn't take long for Zirkzee's talent to attract attention from the top clubs in Netherlands, and he signed for Feyenoord in 2016, after three years at ADO Den Haag. He would spend less than a year with his hometown club, though, with Zirkzee making an acrimonious move to Bayern Munich.
The teenage forward felt it was the right move for his development as a player and he certainly looked set for superstardom at the Allianz Arena after scoring twice in his first eight minutes of Bundesliga action, across games against Freiburg and Wolfsburg in December 2019. He was still only 18 years old at the time.
However, despite playing a small but significant part in Bayern's treble-winning campaign, Zirkzee was unable to truly break through in Bavaria. There was talk of a return after a fine season on loan at Anderlecht, in which he scored 16 times in 38 Belgian Pro League games, but the Bavarians instead immediately sold him to Bologna at the end of the 2021-22 campaign.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesThe big break
Bologna would prove the making of Zirkzee – but it was a slow and, at times, painful process. The original idea had been for Zirkzee to play in attack alongside Arnautovic, but the arrival of Motta as coach in September 2022 changed everything, as the former Italy international only wanted to play one up front. Arnautovic got the nod, and not just because he was the more experienced, proven player. As Zirkzee confessed to the "I wasn't ready mentally, not like Motta wanted anyway."
However, "with a few clips around the ear", Zirkzee came around. He spent the time spent on the bench watching Arnautovic's movement, just as he had silently studied Robert Lewandowski during each and every game and training session at Bayern. "It was a good school," he acknowledged.
By the start of the 2023-24 campaign, it was clear that he had also learned some valuable lessons from Motta. From the very first day of pre-season, he was the first to arrive at training and all of the hard work reaped dividends as soon as Arnautovic left for Inter.
"The time came to take a step forward," he explained to the , "to take on more responsibility, to demonstrate that I was ready and take advantage of the opportunity." He's done exactly that.
Getty ImagesHow it's going
Zirkzee was quite open about the fact that he preferred to play in a front two and did not consider himself like-for-like replacement for Arnautovic whatsoever – but he did an incredible job spearheading the Bologna attack this past season.
Indeed, with his 11 goals and five assists, he was one of the main reasons why a club that last played in Europe 22 years ago – in the Intertoto Cup – secured qualification for next season's Champions League, with the Rossoblu eventually finishing fifth in the Serie A standings.
His strike-rate was hardly sensational, of course, but the reason why Zirkzee earned so many plaudits – and generated so much transfer talk – was his all-round game. His hold-up play was excellent and he constantly brought team-mates into the game with lovely lay-offs. During one remarkable outing in a Coppa Italia win over Inter at San Siro, he turned the game with two incredible assists, one of which was a back-heel.
Getty ImagesBiggest strengths
Bologna is famous for its two towers, and the city's football fans believe that they are now in possession of a third. Zirkzee is tall, strong and imposing; he is one of those forwards that looks big even when standing in between centre-backs. And yet he has the touch and technique of a No.10. He plays with the flair of a player who spent hours watching YouTube compilations of Ronaldinho's vast array of tricks and flicks.
Torino coach Ivan Juric admitted after a 2-0 loss to Bologna that he felt at times as if he was watching peak Zlatan in action. "He's an atypical striker that manages to score a lot of goals," the Croatian said.
"It's a great compliment," Zirkzee replied. "It's not so usual to see a tall centre-forward with good technique. And, without a doubt, my gift is my technique; it is the way of showing everyone my essence. It's the best way to express yourself. Creativity at the service of the team is a lethal combination."
And that is why Motta absolutely adored the Dutchman. The now ex-Bologna boss is a firm believer in the idea that the striker is the first defender, and Zirkzee plays that dual role perfectly. He presses, makes plenty of tackles and is generally just a constant thorn in the side of defenders.
"There are forwards who think only about goals, but not Joshua," Motta says. "He has a big heart and that makes the difference."