Man Utd Sign Zirkzee, Will Hojlund Lose His Starting Spot?

Joshua Zirkzee joins Man Utd for £36 million, becoming the primary competitor for Rasmus Hojlund in attack.

Joshua Zirkzee has officially joined Man Utd from Bologna on a 5-year contract. With a price tag of nearly £36 million, the Dutch striker is expected to share the attacking responsibilities with Rasmus Hojlund in Erik Ten Hag’s system.

There is just one issue. Both Zirkzee and Hojlund are natural center-forwards. If Ten Hag wants to continue with the 4-2-3-1 formation next season, one of them will have to leave the starting lineup. That person could very well be Hojlund, as Zirkzee possesses all the qualities of a top-tier striker.

Finishing Skills

In the 2023/24 season, Joshua Zirkzee played 36 matches for Bologna as a center-forward. He had an expected goals per game of 0.37, lower than Rasmus Hojlund’s 0.51.

However, by the end of the season, Zirkzee (11 goals) scored more than the Danish player (10 goals).

It should be noted that Joshua Zirkzee’s finishing is not outstanding. He scored more goals than Man Utd’s number 9 due to a higher number of shots. Nevertheless, this does not excuse Hojlund’s poor conversion rate.

The Danish striker took 53 shots across all competitions, with 48 occurring in the penalty area, but his shot accuracy was only 52%. The remaining 5 shots outside the penalty area missed the target.

In the 2023/24 season, Hojlund took 4 months to score his first goal in the Premier League for Man Utd (a 3-2 win over Aston Villa).

If Hojlund had not taken half a season to adjust, Ten Hag’s team might have secured a Champions League spot – something Zirkzee achieved with Bologna, finishing 5th in Serie A.

Preference for Versatility and Movement

Zirkzee is 1.93 meters tall and weighs nearly 90 kg. He is not the type of player who stays static in the penalty area. Instead, the former Bologna star prefers to operate independently, dropping deep to receive the ball and attempting dribbles.

Per match, he dribbles in one-on-one situations approximately 4.2 times, nearly three times more than Hojlund’s 1.77 per game. Zirkzee also makes more runs into the final third compared to his counterpart at Man Utd.

Besides his dribbling strength, Zirkzee is also quite flexible in his off-ball movements. According to The Athletic, Zirkzee’s movement tendencies are 24% forward runs, 18% runs behind the ball, 19% deep runs to receive the ball, and 17% runs to meet crosses. These figures are quite balanced, showing Zirkzee’s versatility as a center-forward.

The biggest beneficiary is Ten Hag, who gains an additional option depending on the match result and game situation.

For instance, when Man Utd is leading, Ten Hag might position Zirkzee deeper to increase midfield numbers. When facing a team with strong ball control, the Dutch striker would play wider, waiting for long passes from teammates.

Overall, Zirkzee is a player who adapts well and enjoys taking risks – essential traits for an attacker at a major club.

Zirkzee will likely start from the bench in the early matches. This period will allow him to gain experience and adapt to English football.

Zirkzee’s opportunities will likely come in League Cup, FA Cup, or Europa League group stage matches. If he performs well, securing a starting spot in the Premier League will be challenging to take away from him.