Manchester United Eye Igor Matanovic Amid Zirkzee Uncertainty

Manchester United are weighing up a late move for Freiburg striker Igor Matanovic as uncertainty grows around Joshua Zirkzee’s future at Old Trafford, with Tottenham and Fiorentina also circling.

United’s summer business has been heavily tilted towards midfield. Carlos Baleba, Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos have all arrived from Brighton, Aston Villa and Chelsea, reshaping the core of the side. Karl Darlow has come in as back-up goalkeeper on a free, while young Tottenham defender Tynan Thompson joined in a deal worth around £8m.

The rebuild has been clear, the priorities even clearer: fix the middle of the pitch, add depth in goal, tidy up the squad. But the market has not closed yet, and the story is starting to bend in a different direction.

Striker plans hinge on Zirkzee

United have been linked with a left-back, a left-winger and a striker in the final stretch of the window, with left-back widely viewed as the most likely position to be strengthened. Yet the centre-forward situation refuses to sit quietly in the background.

INEOS are prepared to sanction a move for a new No. 9 if Zirkzee leaves this summer. That is the key trigger. Ben Jacobs has made it clear that United are “alert” to bringing in another striker should the Dutchman depart, with interest building from both the Premier League and Serie A.

Jacobs told Betway Insider that a left-back remains the priority, but the Zirkzee domino could change the mood of the final hours of the window. If United cannot line up a replacement, they retain the option to simply block a sale.

That safety net might be tested quickly. With Como closing in on Moise Kean, Fiorentina have moved into what Fabrizio Romano describes as “advanced talks” with United over Zirkzee. The Italian club are pushing, and United now have to decide whether to cash in and pivot, or hold their ground.

Matanovic on the radar

Waiting on the other side of that decision is Igor Matanovic.

The Freiburg forward, who hit 11 Bundesliga goals last season, has attracted attention across Europe. Thursday’s print edition of Gazzetta dello Sport, relayed by Sport Witness, described a move to Fiorentina as “difficult but not impossible” for the Croatian, who is already being talked about back home as the heir to Mario Mandzukic.

That path to Florence is getting crowded. Interest from Manchester United and Tottenham is complicating Fiorentina’s pursuit, with both Premier League clubs monitoring the 21-year-old.

The picture could soon sharpen. Omar Marmoush is on his way to Tottenham, while Fiorentina are pushing hard for Zirkzee. If those two deals land as expected, United may find themselves with a cleaner run at Matanovic, should they decide to press the button on a new striker.

The equation is simple: Zirkzee out, Matanovic in becomes a live scenario.

Left-back search stays alive

While the striker subplot gathers pace, United’s left-back search continues in the background, ready to jump to the front if the right opportunity appears.

Jacobs has outlined the options on the table. Alejandro Balde has been offered around, with Barcelona understood to be open to a sale at around €45m. United, though, are leaning towards a loan solution, preserving flexibility for 2027 when they hope to make a serious move for their long-term top target, Lewis Hall.

Hall is not thought to be available this late in the window, which leaves United wrestling with a familiar dilemma: act now on a stopgap, or wait for the player they really want next year.

Balde remains one to watch, but only on United’s terms – a loan with an option to buy rather than a straight permanent deal. Jorge Salinas and David Raum have also been offered as alternative left-back options, though, as it stands, nothing has advanced.

So United move into the final days of the window juggling two key questions: whether to cash in on Zirkzee and reshape their attack with Matanovic, and whether to compromise at left-back now or hold their nerve for Hall down the line.