Fiorentina in Talks with Manchester United for Joshua Zirkzee Loan

Fiorentina are in talks with Manchester United over a deal to take Joshua Zirkzee on loan, with an option to buy at the end of the season.

The Italian club are negotiating an initial loan until next summer, with a clause that could turn the move permanent in 2026. While the sides are not yet close to a full agreement, there is growing confidence that they can get it done before the 1 September transfer deadline.

Zirkzee, capped by the Netherlands and under contract at Old Trafford for another three years, is open to the switch and the chance to relaunch his career in Serie A. The 25-year-old knows the league well after his impressive spell at Bologna, where he was named Serie A's Under-23 Player of the Season for 2023-24.

That form earned him a £36.5m move to United in 2024 and he announced himself quickly, scoring on his debut in a 1-0 win over Fulham. The early promise never quite hardened into a regular starting role.

Across two seasons he has made 75 appearances for United but only 27 starts, often used as an impact option rather than the focal point of the attack. Last season underlined his struggle to nail down a place: just five Premier League starts in the 2025-26 campaign and nine goals in all competitions since arriving.

Now Fiorentina sense an opportunity. United see a chance to ease the congestion in their forward line and potentially protect the player’s value with a good season in Italy. Fiorentina see a technically gifted forward who already proved he can thrive in their league.

If the numbers line up in the coming days, Zirkzee’s next chapter may run through Florence.