Manchester United are moving at such speed in the transfer market that their first signing of the window is already in the rearview mirror.
Fans had barely stopped celebrating Joshua Zirkzee’s arrival when the advancements in Leny Yoro’s transfer picked up pace.
Zirkzee arrived to a lot of fanfare as well and is expected to join up with the squad when they travel to the USA for the pre-season tour.
The Dutch striker is a hugely popular figure in the world of football, as evidenced by the barrage of messages he has received since completing the move.
Add the name of a certain Bayern Munich defender to the list of people who have sent a message to Zirkzee…
Joshua Zirkzee sent a four-word message
Social media has been ablaze ever since Zirkzee confirmed his move to United, with the player clearly delighted at the transfer.
He has posted multiple pictures of himself in the United kit and in one, he is sitting in the dressing room in front of his shirt.
Bayern Munich defender Alphonso Davies has sent the striker a four-word message on that picture, making his feelings clear towards the Dutchman.
Davies wrote: “Proud of you g”, tagging Zirkzee, as he called him “my brother”. The United man replied to that message with five heart emojis in a nice interaction.
It is worth noting that Zirkzee was with Davies in the Bayern Munich II team during the 2018-19 season when the pair was looking to make it to the first team.
Davies came from Vancouver while Zirkzee had arrived from Feyenoord’s youth setup. While the former broke through and is now considered one of the best left-backs in the world, Zirkzee had to take a more circuitous path to the top.
Ultimately, leaving Bayern for more regular games was a challenge he set for himself and succeeded, as he finds himself at United after multiple loans as a Bayern player and two successful years at Bologna.
Man United’s most important signing
Manchester United will undoubtedly sign more players to follow Zirkzee in the market, but looking at their game last season, Zirkzee could well end up being their most important arrival.
The way he stitches the attack to midfield, almost as a No. 10 in a striker’s body, will make the attack click, which seemed like it was functioning in isolation far too often last season.
His game complements Rasmus Hojlund’s completely, who lacks the skills to receive the ball at his feet and link up with his teammates.
In a team that plays with two inside forwards out wide, that is the most necessary skill in a striker, which Zirzkee will bring. Add to the fact that he can play with, and instead of Hojlund, it widens Erik ten Hag’s tactical options while setting up his team.
His former teammates are already proud of him for betting on himself. By the time all’s said and done, billions of United fans worldwide should be added to the list.
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