Rumoured Man Utd deadline day signing Igor Matanovic has reacted to potentially replacing Joshua Zirkzee at Old Trafford.
The possibility of needing to sign another striker has been hanging over Man Utd for much of the summer transfer window with interest in Dutch forward Zirkzee.
Man Utd are still looking to sign a left-back before the deadline for the right price, while Ben Jacobs last week that the Red Devils will move for a striker if Zirkzee leaves.
Jacobs told Betway Insider: “A left-back seems to be the priority. They’ll be alert also to a No. 9, and if Joshua Zirkzee goes, that also becomes more pressing in the final hours or days of the window, and yet, if Manchester United can’t reinforce, then they obviously have the ability not to sanction a move.”
One player who has been on their list of potential replacements is Freiburg’s Matanovic with Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport revealing that the Red Devils’ interest in the Croatia international.
The report last week claimed that Man Utd and Spurs are looking to sign Freiburg striker Matanovic before the transfer deadline on September 1.
23-year-old Matanovic scored 11 Bundesliga goals last term and also attracting interest from Serie A side Fiorentina, who had been looking for a replacement for Moise Kean.
It was said at the time that interest from Man Utd and Tottenham is ‘’likely to cause problems’ for the Serie A club though and a deal for the ‘heir to Mario Mandzukic’ in Croatian football is understood to be ‘difficult but not impossible’.
Responding to rumours of interest from Man Utd this week, Matanovic told reporters: “As far as I’m concerned, I’m currently at Freiburg. There has been absolutely no contact with anyone from my side.
“The first thing people think of is that success is due to hard training and that’s largely true,” he added. “But I believe that football is much more a mental game. If you’re clear-headed, not overthinking, and not hesitating, then that’s how things happen. If I’m overthinking, starting to brood, and lacking self-confidence, then it doesn’t work.”
Juventus were reportedly closing in on a deal for Zirkzee on Monday but the Serie A giants’ move for Newcastle’s Nick Woltemade has now seen a deal fall through.
Zirkzee now ‘frantically trying to sort a late move’ away from Man Utd
The Manchester Evening News insists that Juventus will not sign both Zirkzee and Woltemade this summer with the Netherlands international now “frantically trying to sort a late move”.
The MEN wrote: ‘The knock-on effect for Nick Woltemade’s move to Juventus is Joshua Zirkzee has been left frantically trying to sort a late move.
‘Juventus had a deal agreed in principle for wantaway Man United striker Zirkzee but boss Luciano Spalletti wanted a more traditional No9.
‘Juventus have given the manager has wish and agreed a season-long loan for Woltemade who is due in to Turin at 1pm.
‘They will not be doing both players so Zirkzee is left in a pickle. Fiorentina had a loan bid knocked back last week.
‘Woltemade had plenty of offers but Juventus’s late push appealed straight away.’
Man Utd correspondent for The Sun, Samuel Luckhurst, has revealed that the Red Devils are now ‘comfortable’ in keeping Zirkzee with no new Red Devils striker if he doesn’t leave.
Luckhurst wrote on X: ‘#mufc comfortable with possibility of Zirkzee staying, given squad player function and popularity among teammates. Has nine goals in 75 games and only started once under Carrick. Inability to sell/loan Rashford or Zirkzee has effectively blocked a new forward coming in.’
