Fiorentina Targets Zirkzee as Kean Moves to Como

Fiorentina’s attack is about to change. Moise Kean is closing in on a move to Como, and in Florence they know a replacement cannot wait until deadline day.

At the top of the shortlist sits Joshua Zirkzee.

Zirkzee vs Beto: talent or balance sheet?

La Viola are weighing up two very different options: Beto and Zirkzee. The Manchester United forward is understood to be the preferred choice, the one seen as a potential headline signing rather than just a stopgap.

The numbers, though, bite hard.

Reports relayed by Sport Witness claim United want in the region of £25–30 million for Zirkzee. For Fiorentina, that figure is heavy, especially when set against the alternative. Beto is expected to be available for around £21.4–25m and on significantly lower wages.

On pure output, Beto brings a steadier, if less glamorous, profile. The 28‑year‑old has produced 20 goals and one assist across 98 Premier League appearances. Zirkzee, three years younger and viewed as a higher-ceiling forward, has managed five goals and three assists in 56 games since arriving in England in 2024.

Potential versus practicality. That’s the dilemma.

United role shrinks as suitors circle

The situation at Old Trafford is pushing the story along.

Michael Carrick left Zirkzee out of United’s season opener away to Hull City last Saturday. One game, one omission – but it only fuelled talk that the Dutchman is edging towards the exit.

His minutes had already been squeezed over the last year. No European football, early cup exits, and a crowded attacking line have left him on the fringes. United’s return to the Champions League this season could, in theory, open more doors for rotation, but the competition for places has only intensified.

Marcus Rashford’s reintegration, and his ability to play anywhere across the front line, places another obstacle in Zirkzee’s path. If he stays, he fights. If he goes, he resets his career elsewhere.

For now, he is waiting. Concrete proposals, not just conversations, will decide his next move.

Fiorentina’s window, Juventus’ shadow

Fiorentina know they are not alone in this chase.

Serie A rivals Juventus want to bring Zirkzee back to Italy after his two‑year spell with Bologna, and the forward has already told the Turin club he would be open to joining them. That stance adds another layer of difficulty for La Viola: they are competing not only with United’s valuation, but with the pull of a domestic giant.

So the equation is clear. Kean is heading out, a central striker is needed, and the clock is ticking.

Do Fiorentina stretch their finances to land Zirkzee and beat Juventus to a player who knows Serie A, or pivot to the more affordable Beto and protect the balance sheet?

The answer will say plenty about the club’s ambition for this season – and about how much they are willing to gamble to close the gap at the top.