Fiorentina Targets Zirkzee as Kean Nears Exit

Fiorentina’s attack is about to change. Moise Kean is edging towards Como, and in Florence they know they cannot let the window close without a proper replacement lined up.

At the top of the shortlist: Joshua Zirkzee.

Zirkzee the favourite, Beto the alternative

La Viola are weighing two very different profiles. Reports in Italy and England point to Beto and Zirkzee as the main targets, with the Manchester United forward viewed as the preferred option in terms of upside and style.

The problem is the price.

Claims relayed by Sport Witness say United want around £25–30 million for Zirkzee. For Fiorentina, that figure changes the entire equation. Beto, by comparison, is expected to be available for roughly £21.4–25m and on significantly lower wages.

That gap matters. It could be the difference between a bold move for a potential star and a more pragmatic deal for a proven but less glamorous option.

Numbers that shape the debate

On pure output, Beto brings a larger body of work. The 26-year-old has produced 20 goals and one assist across 98 Premier League appearances. Zirkzee, three years younger, has five goals and three assists in 56 games since arriving in England in 2024.

The numbers underline the dilemma. Beto offers volume and reliability; Zirkzee offers promise and a higher ceiling, but without the same statistical backing in England so far.

For a club like Fiorentina, constantly walking the tightrope between ambition and financial reality, those details are crucial.

Zirkzee’s United standstill

The situation at Old Trafford is not helping Zirkzee’s case to stay. Michael Carrick left him out of the squad for United’s season opener away to Hull City last Saturday, a decision that only intensified talk of a summer exit.

His role had already shrunk over the past year. United’s absence from Europe and early cup eliminations stripped away valuable minutes, leaving him on the fringes just when he needed rhythm and responsibility.

Champions League qualification changes the calendar this season and, on paper, opens more doors for rotation. Yet Zirkzee still faces a fight. Marcus Rashford has been fully reintegrated and can play across the entire frontline, squeezing the space for a secondary striker trying to break through.

For the Dutchman, any move now has to guarantee more than just a change of scenery. It has to guarantee a role.

Juventus lurking in the background

Fiorentina’s calculations are complicated by an all-too-familiar rival. Juventus are also pushing to bring Zirkzee back to Serie A after his impressive two-year spell with Bologna.

Crucially, the player has already indicated to the Turin club that he would be open to joining them.

That knowledge hangs over Fiorentina’s pursuit. Pay United’s asking price and you take a major financial swing. Wait for a discount and you risk watching a coveted forward walk straight into the arms of a domestic rival.

With Kean closing in on Como and the clock ticking on the window, the question in Florence is brutal and simple: do they stretch for Zirkzee’s potential, or settle on Beto’s certainty and live with the thought of Zirkzee in black and white stripes instead of purple?