Joshua Zirkzee’s future in Italy fluctuates between Milan and Juventus, a report has claimed, but if he were to go to the club that would guarantee a more natural transition then he would wear a red and black shirt next season.
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That is according to La Gazzetta dello Sport, who write that if Zirkzee does not move to the Premier League or elsewhere in Europe, he will follow Thiago Motta to Turin or become the leader of Paulo Fonseca’s new Milan, but where would he have more of an impact?
Zirkzee is an anomalous centre-forward. Indeed, by his own admission in more than one interview, he is more of a 9.5 than a No.9, an expression that encapsulates his tendencies to roam and be more of an attacking playmaker than a striker who camps in the box.
Motta alchemy
Here is an important point: in addition to Zirkzee, Juve want to buy Riccardo Calafiori, but it seems difficult to imagine that they can afford both. If the Dutchman arrived, what would happen to Dusan Vlahovic, a more traditional striker they invested a lot of money in?
From what transpires, Motta considers Vlahovic a cornerstone of his new side, therefore the new coach would work on a coexistence between the two. The 4-2-3-1, with Zirkzee as an attacking midfielder, could solve the issue, but it is not a natural position for him.
If the alchemy succeeded under Motta, the Bianconeri would find themselves with a couple with devastating potential, a super mixture of strength and quality.
In the last league season Zirkzee scored 11 goals and Vlahovic 16, while the former completed 710 passes and the latter 380. That shows the difference between them well.
The leader of the new Milan
Milan have come from three seasons in which Olivier Giroud was the man leading the line. He is a clear centre-forward in the old fashioned way. However, Milan would have no problem assimilating a player like Zirkzee, who ultimately descends from Marco Van Basten.
Make no mistake, Van Basten’s levels of greatness remain unique and perhaps unattainable, but Zirkzee is that type of centre-forward, i.e. a No.9 with elegance, the movements and touches of a 10, like the immense MVB at the height of his powers in the late 1980s.
A Pulisic-Zirkzee-Leao trident would have enormous potential to not only score but entertain. The feeling is that Leao would link up very well with the former Bayern Munich player who in turn would open up spaces for his wingers.
Not only that, but he could bring the midfielders into play when they get forward too as Fonseca commands, and that includes his compatriot Tijjani Reijnders plus the 10-goal scorer Ruben Loftus-Cheek.
The report concludes by stating that Zirkzee to Milan seems like a simpler, almost more natural fit. However, that does not mean it will definitely happen.