Joshua Zirkzee's Bold Image Transformation: From Flop to 90s Rapper

Joshua Zirkzee is trying to rewrite the story – and he’s starting with the mirror.

The Manchester United forward, under scrutiny after a flat first season at Old Trafford, has flown in a personal stylist from the Netherlands to rip up his wardrobe and rebuild his image from scratch. The brief? Less modern footballer, more 90s rapper.

Zirkzee, 25, arrived from Bologna in 2024 for around £36.5–37 million but has yet to justify the fee. Two goals in 24 appearances last term left him tagged as a flop and fuelled talk of a swift return to Italy. He has featured in pre-season under Michael Carrick and is among the few recognised centre-forwards in the squad as United face Leeds in Dublin on Wednesday, but his long-term future remains uncertain.

Off the pitch, though, he has moved decisively. Dutch wardrobe stylist Sydney Luchies revealed on TikTok that Zirkzee brought her over to Manchester to overhaul his look and help him tap into a different persona.

“Joshua wanted to look like a rapper from the 90s – with his own touch,” she explained, outlining the process she uses with clients.

She starts by building a mood board, then curates full outfits, gets them approved, orders everything and finally flies in for fittings and delivery. This time, that meant a trip to England and a full day preparing looks in Zirkzee’s home.

The collaboration didn’t stop at fresh fits. In a follow-up video posted last month, Luchies filmed herself knee-deep in Zirkzee’s wardrobe, stripping it back piece by piece. She sorted unwanted or unworn clothes into colour-co-ordinated piles, with a plan to sell the high-end items and donate the rest to charity. The aim was simple: clear space, clear head, room for something new.

“Joshua asked if I could help him reorganise his closet, create a bit more space for new things, and make it all neat and organised,” she said, documenting another trip to the UK for what she called a “closet clean”.

Luchies is hardly a novice in this world. Based in the Netherlands, she has styled Burnley defender Quilindschy Hartman, currently on loan at Espanyol, and has worked on shoots for PSV Eindhoven. Her client list includes major brands such as Adidas, Puma and New Balance, and she describes herself as an “all-round wardrobe stylist and creative”.

On her website, she writes that her passion for fashion and creating began when she was a child and evolved into seeing outfits and concepts as “a form of art and self-expression”. Her approach is to follow the wishes of her clients while adding her own vision, always chasing the best possible result on photo and video sets, whether for editorial, commercial or celebrity styling.

For Zirkzee, the timing is no coincidence. A fresh season looms, his place at United is under debate, and he needs a reset. The clothes won’t change his finishing or his movement in the box, but for a player searching for confidence, a new image can feel like a new start.

United invested heavily to bring him to Old Trafford. After a year of frustration, he has stripped back his wardrobe, leaned into a bold 90s-inspired identity and opened the door to a different version of himself.

Now the question is simple: will the transformation in front of the camera be matched by one in front of goal?