Joshua Zirkzee, the striker with a 'unicorn' skill set and why he offers something different (2024)

If the Erling Haaland/Darwin Nunez/Rasmus Hojlund prototype is the new generation of Premier League striker, Joshua Zirkzee offers a refreshing deviation.

At first glance, Zirkzee ticks the same boxes. He’s 6ft 4in (193cm), 23 years old, and powerfully built. He’s leading the line for Bologna in Serie A, a league where physically robust No 9s have been successful. He’s a Netherlands international and was called up by Ronald Koeman to replace the injured Teun Koopmeiners in their European Championship squad shortly after arriving at Disney World in Orlando, Florida, for a post-season holiday.

But don’t put him in the same category as Wout Weghorst or Luuk de Jong; Zirkzee is perhaps the most unique striker profile at the Euros this summer… Hungary’s Martin Adam, aside.

In a similar vein to how south London has developed a reputation for producing “street” footballers with impressive technical ability, such as Jadon Sancho and Eberechi Eze, Zirkzee is a product of the “Johan Cruyff courts” of Schiedam, a city west of Rotterdam.

“I think what the USA has with (urban outdoor) basketball courts, we have in Holland with the five-a-side pitches,” Zirkzee said. “It makes you tough, you have to be smarter, you have to find a way to keep up with guys that are bigger and stronger than you. I learned on the streets — and that’s where creativity comes to life.”

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Under Thiago Motta, who is now the new head coach of Juventus, Zirkzee came of age last season in Serie A. He primarily featured as a lone striker under the Italian, scoring 11 league goals as Bologna achieved Champions League qualification for the first time.

“He said his idols are Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Gabriel Batistuta, who are two excellent players, but, seeing him day to day, he reminds me of the Ronaldinho I played with at Barcelona,” said Motta. “But I cannot compare him to anyone. He is just Joshua, and he is special.”

Having developed as a player at Barcelona, Motta’s coaching philosophy appears strongly influenced by the footballing principles of that club, and Zirkzee has thrived in his attack as a false nine.

Unlike most other central strikers of a similar height and stature, Zirkzee is a fluid dribbler who glides past defenders. He likes to receive the ball with his back to goal or on the half-turn, and can spin his marker or bring team-mates into the action with outstanding hold-up play. With five league assists last season, he offers a side much more than a penalty-box presence.

“Technically, he’s really, really good,” his Bologna team-mate, and Scotland international midfielder, Lewis Ferguson told The Athletic last year. “He’s strong, fast, powerful. He’s got everything you’d want in an attacker. It’s enjoyable to play with him. We bounce off each other. If he makes one run, I make another.”

You might think a forward of his profile could be one-dimensional in their movement, but making intelligent runs is a key part of Zirkzee’s game.

Using data from SkillCorner, these can be broken down to show the versatility of his movement: you are almost as likely to see him make runs in behind the defensive line or ahead of the ball as you will see him come short to drag opposition defenders out of position.

Manchester United — who are, among other clubs, admirers of Zirkzee — could do with a profile in attack to help goalkeeper Andre Onana’s long passes or Lisandro Martinez’s line-splitters from central defence stick up front.

Though Hojlund showed signs of impressive movement and finishing ability in his 2023-24 debut season at Old Trafford, he did not always convince while leading the line under Erik ten Hag, where the transitional nature of United’s play meant too much was often asked of him.

With a partner such as Zirkzee, who is more comfortable dropping deeper and linking with attackers, Hojlund could be freed of the burden of facing both centre-backs to use his qualities higher up the pitch. For games in which Ten Hag opts for a sole striker, their differing profiles mean there will always be an alternative available from the bench.

United are operating on a tighter budget this year than in previous summers, however. Net spends of around £188million ($238m) and £125m in Ten Hag’s first two seasons will almost certainly not be repeated, with a net budget of approximately £50m set. Also, while the Bayern Munich academy graduate is still developing, it would be unwise to characterise him as a safe bet.

Zirkzee’s best goalscoring season came in 2021-22, when he found the net 16 times in 38 league matches for Anderlecht in Belgium’s top division. According to Opta Analyst, the Belgian Pro League ranks sixth in the world, behind the traditional top five in England, France, Spain, Italy and Germany. Still, the jump from scoring goals in Belgium, or indeed, in Serie A, which is ranked two spots below the first-place Premier League in Opta’s estimations, would be considerable.

Reaching double figures for goals in two of his past three seasons will encourage prospective buyers. Undoubtedly, increasing his scoring output is something fans of the Premier League’s top clubs would desire. Zirkzee, though, with his unique style and variety of finishing with both feet, has the potential to start delivering goals at a more regular rate.

When analysing Zirkzee, goals only scratch the surface.

NBA legend Kevin Durant once described fellow star Kristaps Porzingis as a “unicorn” due to his unique basketball qualities for someone of his 7ft 2in height. Finding a player who combines physical dominance and athleticism with elite dribbling ability through central areas is as much of a ‘unicorn’ skill set as you can hope to find in football.

(Top photo: Piero Cruciatti/AFP via Getty Images)