Manchester United 'in talks' with Arsenal target, as rivals fight over wonderkid forward: report

Arsenal and Manchester United managers Mikel Arteta and Erik ten Hag respectively look on during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Arsenal FC at Old Trafford on September 04, 2022 in Manchester, England.
(Image credit: Michael Regan/Getty Images)

Manchester United have held talks with an Arsenal target, as the pair lock their crosshairs on the same young player.

The Premier League pair are no strangers to chasing the same players, as evidenced in the last few transfer windows. The likes of Mason Mount and Lisandro Martinez joined Manchester United ultimately – but both were linked with Arsenal prior to their moves.

As both Erik ten Hag and Mikel Arteta play similar possession styles, these similarities will arise, as they appear to have once more over a wonderkid wanted by both managers. 

Mason Mount in action for Manchester United in pre-season in July 2023.

Mason Mount was linked with Arsenal before joining Manchester United (Image credit: Getty Images)

Florian Plettenberg of Sky Germany has tweeted that Joshua Zirkzee is a target for the summer for United, who are still looking for depth in attacking areas.

Rasmus Hojlund has impressed in bursts this season but has struggled with injury issues. According to the journalist, the Red Devils have contacted Serie A side Bologna over selling their star striker to no avail.

The Gunners are believed to have enquired about the Dutchman in recent weeks, as they look for an answer to their impotence in front of goal, having scored once from over 60 shots in just three games over Christmas and New Year. 

Joshua Zirkzee of FC Bologna

Joshua Zirkzee is a target for Premier League sides (Image credit: Getty Images)

Zirkzee moved from Bayern Munich, though Die Roten have a buyback option for around £35m. 

Transfermarkt values the 22-year-old at €30m.

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Mark White
Content Editor

Mark White is the Digital Content Editor at FourFourTwo. During his time on the brand, Mark has written three cover features on Mikel Arteta, Martin Odegaard and the Invincibles, and has written pieces on subjects ranging from Sir Bobby Robson’s time at Barcelona to the career of Robinho. An encyclopedia of football trivia and collector of shirts, he first joined the team back in 2020 as a staff writer.