Why do Manchester United want Joshua Zirkzee?

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Published 2024-06-27
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Every transfer window, every team everywhere needs a new striker to bring in the goals. But why are Manchester United looking at Joshua Zirkzee from Bologna? Why is Dominic Calvert-Lewin attracting attention despite his injury issues? Why are Chelsea still looking for more players?

Joe Devine, JJ Bull and Jon Mackenzie dig into The Athletic's DealSheet, your weekly guide to what is happening in the summer transfer window, to find out.

Find more transfer analysis you can trust from David Ornstein and other journalists here in The Athletic's DealSheet:
www.nytimes.com/athletic/5586217/2024/06/25/manche…

#manchesterunited #chelsea #premierleague

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Chapters:

00:00 Intro
01:14 Why do Man Utd want Zirkzee?
09:12 Why is Dominic Calvert-Lewin attracting attention?
16:53 Chelsea's Striker Search

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Additional footage sourced from AP Newsroo

All Comments (21)
  • @TheAthleticFC
    What striker should your club buy this season? 👇
  • @mahbluebird
    Joe Devine looks a little bit like if you made Pochettino really really British
  • Hojlund scored 16 last season including 5 in the cl in a team that struggled and didn't create enough chances for a striker. It's definitely better than an okay season for him
  • @r4lfxd
    I am baffled by the Calvert-Lewin links. This season he has looked more fit for the Championship and he is made of glass.
  • @klnv6564
    DCL goes for 30 lira if he's not English
  • @InesVandehoof
    Giroud and DCL should never be mentioned in the same sentence
  • @user-nm7is4qj8x
    Don’t agree with the fernandes point. Zirkzee and Fernandes will actually work perfectly just like Fernandes and martial did. Because Bruno actually is an elite box crasher and goalscorer.
  • This was a frustrating watch normally i come away informed but i find myself disgreeing with bruno profile his best position is shadow stt or crashing the box u want bruno as high as possible and being the player to finish the action or to pass to the player to finish the action. Zirkee and bruno make perfect sense and u dont need move players 7:10 out of position. Think where bruno position was under ole and playing upfront with martial
  • Okay, Who else saw the "Points are bad" Euros graphic?! You can't flash that up and then not tell us how you got those scores! Where's the theme song?!
  • @SkullSnax
    The bit that excites me about Zirkzee is he's the kind of striker United should have got last summer. They had a quite successful attacking unit based on Weghorst or Martial dropping in to receive the ball, making gaps in the backline and then Martinez/Shaw/Eriksen/Bruno playing "up, back and through" off Weghorst to Rashford. Weghorst and Martial averaged about 2 shots per 90 that season, while the players around them all got double or more each. Then Weghorst's loan ends, they go for Kane but he's too expensive, and instead of finding somebody (like Zirkzee) who can play a similar creative forward role, they get Hojlund who just wants to score goals. The whole balance of the frontline is off because everyone wants to run behind, nobody wants to drop and create space. It takes Hojlund about 6 months to figure out that positioning, but in those 6 months United finish bottom of their Champions League group, well out of the top 4 race and Rashford's confidence is obliterated. I said at the time, you either bet on Hojlund and rebuild the frontline for him, you get rid of Hojlund and find somebody more like Weghorst, or you be patient while Ten Hag coaches his striker to play a way he's not used to. Looks like they've gone for option C, but they're not making the same mistake in who they buy as a backup/alternative. Get somebody who fits the system better and United will score more goals than getting an elite striker who won't get any service.
  • @spyculture
    I enjoyed the shoutout for Nándor Hidegkuti
  • @Bleech606
    "You can still sell them even though he will have played for Man United after that point" 😆
  • @lukew6725
    Loving the more frequent videos, keep it up! 👍
  • @declanfrew6958
    I love watching these videos at bed time, Jon puts me to sleep (in the nicest way possible)
  • @DeanHenderson
    About DCL, what no one mentions is that it was Duncan Ferguson playing a 4-4-2 that got him playing his best. Then when Ancelotti came in he gradually moved away from 4-4-2 and this coincided with his gradual drop off in form before the disastrous appointment of Rafa and the beginning of his injury problems (go figure). It is frustrating to me that Dyche loves a 4-4-2 but has been loathe to play it.