Manchester United put a lot of time, energy and money into beefing up their attacking options over the summer.
Despite losing 1-0 to Arsenal yesterday the rejuvenated frontline looked promising, with new signings Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha entertaining the Old Trafford crowd and latest arrival Benjamin Sesko getting some valuable minutes under his belt.
Even Mason Mount played well on the left of the front three, and should he gain some momentum he would be something like a new signing having failed to make much of an impression since joining from Chelsea two years ago.
Changing of the guard
The influx of new attacking talent looks set to claim its first victim in Rasmus Hojlund, the misfiring number 9 who managed only four Premier League goals last season.
Sesko, signed in a deal which could reach over £70m, is a like-for-like replacement and the fact that Hojlund didn’t make the matchday squad against Arsenal indicates that he no longer has a place in Ruben Amorim’s squad. The young Dane is thought to be on his way to AC Milan.
United’s other centre-forward option last season, Joshua Zirkzee, also struggled for goals during his debut campaign at Old Trafford, but grew into himself over the course of the season and was a big loss when sidelined through injury towards the end.
He can also expect to see his minutes restricted with the recruitment of a brand-new front three and fewer competitive matches to play than last season due to the lack of European football, and reports in Italy claim he has appeared on the radar of Serie A giants Napoli.
Napoli interest in Zirkzee
Napoli were richly rewarded last time they bought a player from United, with Scott McTominay making the switch and becoming the driving force in their Serie A triumph.
But their title defence has taken a hammer blow with main striker Romelu Lukaku injured in a friendly just days before the new season gets underway.
As such Antonio Conte’s side are scrambling for a new striker, despite already signing a new one in Lorenzo Lucca earlier this year, and Zirkzee’s name has appeared on their list.
Corriere dello Sport are clear that Napoli are just looking for a loan, and that the extent of Lukaku’s injury is still being assessed, but the champions are wasting no time assessing their options.
“Old favourite” Zirkzee has previously attracted interest from the club, and the report notes that his playing time is likely to be limited at Old Trafford this season.
Zirkzee “knows the Italian league, is still worth a lot, but has inevitably depreciated”, and CdS add that he would be reunited with former Bologna teammate Sam Beukema and Dutch international Noa Lang.
He is one of four options under consideration, along with Crystal Palace’s Jean-Philippe Mateta, Roma’s Artem Dovbyk and Lecce’s Nikola Krstovic.
Conte’s favourite
The story is already gathering pace, with Italian journalist Marco Conterio calling Zirkzee Conte’s “favourite”, and suggesting the former Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur boss favours United’s Dutch forward because he can also play as a winger.
Conterio throws two more alternatives into the mix in Sassuolo’s Andrea Pinamonti and Cagliari’s Roberto Piccoli.
🚨🔵 Il #Napoli corre ai ripari dopo il ko di Romelu Lukaku: il preferito di Conte è Joshua Zirkzee
Il tecnico salentino ha chiesto l’olandese del #MUFC perché può fare anche l’esterno. Visto il lungo stop che rischia il belga, il ds Manna nelle ultime ore ha ricevuto tante… pic.twitter.com/MucNBsCOAk
— Marco Conterio (@marcoconterio) August 18, 2025
United would likely be reluctant to part with Zirkzee, who gradually found form and would link up well with the new crop of attackers. Unlike Hojlund there has been no serious talk of an exit this summer because of the new recruits, and the rumours that he was already on the transfer list quickly died down.
A straight loan with no buy option could be a risk-free way of keeping hold of the 24-year-old but giving him more minutes, but there’s no guarantee that once Lukaku returns to fitness he wouldn’t spend much of the season sat on the bench in Naples.
Featured image Carl Recine via Getty Images
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Joe Ponting
Joe has spent more than half his life writing about football and all of it following United. As a child he told a doctor his name was ‘Paul Scholes’, but could never pick a pass like him no matter how much he tried.
