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.

INEOS have spent the summer rebuilding United’s spine, with midfield the first job on the list. Carlos Baleba, Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos have all arrived from Brighton, Aston Villa and Chelsea, reshaping the centre of the pitch in one window. Karl Darlow has come in as back-up goalkeeper on a free, while highly rated Tottenham youngster Tynan Thompson joined in a deal worth around £8m.

The squad is not finished. Far from it.

United have been linked with a left-back, a left-winger and a striker before the window shuts, but all indications point to left-back as the position most likely to be strengthened. Even so, the whole attacking picture could change in an instant if Zirkzee walks.

Zirkzee’s future opens the door

Ben Jacobs has made it clear: if Zirkzee leaves, United will move for a No. 9.

Speaking to Betway Insider, Jacobs described United as “alert” to bringing in a new striker if the Dutchman departs, with interest building from both the Premier League and Serie A. The message from INEOS is straightforward – they will sanction a striker signing if they cash in on Zirkzee, but they will not sell without a replacement lined up.

The dominoes are starting to wobble in Italy. With Como set to sign Moise Kean before the deadline, Fiorentina have pushed into what Fabrizio Romano describes as ‘advanced talks’ to take Zirkzee from United. If that deal gathers pace, United’s search for a replacement instantly becomes urgent.

That is where Igor Matanovic comes in.

Matanovic in the middle of a three-way tug-of-war

Thursday’s print edition of Gazzetta dello Sport, relayed by Sport Witness, reports that Fiorentina are also tracking Matanovic. The Freiburg forward hit 11 Bundesliga goals last season and is already being talked about in Croatia as the “heir to Mario Mandzukic”.

For Fiorentina, the deal is described as “difficult but not impossible”. The difficulty is coming from England.

Manchester United and Tottenham have both registered interest, complicating Fiorentina’s hopes of landing the 21-year-old. Spurs are reshaping their own forward line and are now moving for Omar Marmoush, which could clear some space for United.

If Marmoush heads to Tottenham and Fiorentina close in on Zirkzee, United suddenly have a clean run at Matanovic – a young, physical, penalty-box striker with a growing reputation and a profile that fits a long-term rebuild.

The question is whether United choose to strike now or wait for a different opportunity down the line.

Left-back hunt: Balde, loans and a long-term plan

While the striker situation hangs on Zirkzee, the left-back search is already active behind the scenes.

Jacobs says United are closely monitoring the market in the final days of the window. Alejandro Balde has been offered around, with Barcelona understood to be willing to let him go for about €45 million.

That kind of fee would usually scream “marquee signing”, but United’s stance is more cautious. The preference, according to Jacobs, is a loan with an option to buy rather than an outright permanent deal. It is not just about money; it is about timing.

United’s long-term priority at left-back is Lewis Hall. The club are thought to see 2027 as the key year to make a serious move for him. Hall is not expected to be available this late in the current window, which leaves United with a strategic dilemma: commit big now, or bring in a stopgap and keep their powder dry for Hall down the line.

Balde remains one to watch, but nothing has moved forward yet. Other names have been floated to the club, with Jorge Salinas and David Raum also offered as potential solutions on the left side of defence.

So United stand at a familiar crossroads: a squad still clearly under construction, a striker possibly on his way out, a highly rated young forward in Matanovic within reach, and a left-back plan that stretches three years into the future.

How bold they are in these final days of the window will say a lot about the pace – and the ambition – of the INEOS era.