Napoli eye Zirkzee as Manchester United open to loan with €30m option

Joshua Zirkzee is the new name for Napoli's attack in January. The 25-year-old Dutch striker has been pushed to the margins at Manchester United, and Napoli want to try for him.

The need has not changed since the summer. Massimiliano Allegri wants a striker to play alongside Rasmus Højlund, who has carried the attack almost alone so far: 3 goals in 13 appearances, none in the Champions League. Allegri's choice for that role was Gabriel Jesus, but the deal never got going. The window closed on Tuesday 1 September without the striker the coach had asked for.

Napoli are tenth with 15 points, 9 behind fourth place, which is the stated target. The sporting director, Giovanni Manna, has widened the search and is looking closely at the Premier League.

This season Zirkzee has played fewer than 200 minutes across ten official matches, almost always as a substitute. He has still scored twice, most recently against Aston Villa on Sunday 8 November.

Serie A already knows what he can do. In 2023/24, under Thiago Motta, he finished with 11 goals and 5 assists and drove Bologna to a historic Champions League qualification. He is not a penalty-box finisher. He is a technical striker who links play and brings the team up the pitch. That makes him different from Højlund, and for that reason a good fit beside him.

The Pochettino question and the sales

There is one unknown, and it is Mauricio Pochettino. The Argentine has just been confirmed as United's new head coach in place of Carrick, and a lot depends on how he rates Zirkzee. If he decides to give him a fresh start, the door closes quickly. If he sees him as surplus, Napoli are ready to move.

Manna has called the January window "not easy". A loan with an option to buy fits that: no heavy outlay up front, six months to assess the player, and the decision pushed back to June.

Zirkzee is still the second choice. Top of the list remains Gustavo Varela. Two things now weigh against that deal: Monza, deep in a relegation fight, want around €40m, and Juventus are also interested in the Portuguese player. That is exactly why Zirkzee is gaining ground. He is more experienced and could cost less.

Before Napoli can strike, though, they need to free up space and money. The club are looking at the futures of Noa Lang, at odds with the fanbase after his falling-out with the Curva (the hardcore end behind the goal), and Lorenzo Lucca, who has never managed to make his mark at Napoli. The route to Zirkzee runs through them: sell first, then buy.

That raises an uncomfortable question for supporters. Lucca and Lang were signed to solve a problem. Now they are the problem that has to be solved before another striker can arrive. A formula that defers everything to June is prudent for the accounts. It does not show whether the people building the squad have learned anything from the summer.

Before January come Torino, Manchester City and Sassuolo. The run starts at the Maradona on Saturday 21 November at 20:45 CET (19:45 UK, 14:45 ET), with an attack that, for now, has only Højlund.