After a disappointing season culminating in a spectacular, if somewhat surprising, triumph in the FA Cup final, Manchester United opted to give manager Erik ten Hag another chance to lead the club forward.
With Sir Jim Ratcliffe now firmly established as one of the primary decision-makers at Old Trafford, there is every chance that the Dutchman can lead the Red Devils back to the pinnacle of the Premier League.
However, to do that, he'll need the club to back him in the transfer market this summer.
While it looks like he could be getting his hands on Bologna's Joshua Zirkzee, recent reports have suggested that he's also after another Dutch goalscorer this summer who could be the perfect alternative.
Manchester United's striker search
According to a recent report from the Sun, Manchester United are set to go to 'war' with Premier League rivals Arsenal over Ajax striker Brian Brobbey this summer with clubs 'confident' of sealing a transfer.
The report has claimed that the exciting forward would cost the clubs around £30m and that Ten Hag has been 'eyeing' the 22-year-old as he knows the player from his time with the Amsterdam outfit.
Alongside the two English sides, the report has revealed that a host of teams from Italy are keen on securing the forward's signature this summer, although he would prefer a move to the Premier League.
It could be a complicated deal to get over the line with all the outside interest, but given his performances last season and the relatively affordable price, it looks like one worth pursuing, especially as he could be a better option than Zirkzee.
How Brobbey compares to Zirkzee
Now, the ideal situation for United is that they can acquire both strikers, meaning that, along with Rasmus Hojlund, Ten Hag would have access to a plethora of effective attacking options.
However, if that's not possible, who out of Brobbey and Zirkzee would be the better purchase for the Red Devils? Well, from a pure output perspective – the most important metric for a striker – it's a comfortable victory for the Ajax star.
In just 43 appearances for the Dutch giants last season, he scored 22 goals and provided 12 assists, meaning he averaged a goal involvement every 1.26 games for a side that just about limped into fifth place.
In contrast, the Bologna star found the back of the net on 12 occasions in 37 matches while also providing seven assists, which equates to a goal involvement every 1.94 games.
How do they compare when we look at their underlying numbers? Is it another comfortable victory for the Amsterdam-born forward here as well? Indeed, and by quite some margin at that.
Non-Penalty Expected Goals + Assists
0.95
0.41
Non-Penalty Goals
0.67
0.29
Assists
0.30
0.13
Progressive Passes
1.12
2.80
Progressive Carries
1.99
1.73
Shots
3.14
2.74
Shots on Target
1.50
0.95
Passing Accuracy
78.1
77.4
Shot-Creating Actions
3.44
3.17
Goal-Creating Actions
0.56
0.33
Successful Take-Ons
1.05
1.69
Ball Recoveries
1.42
3.36
Aerial Duels Won
2.43
0.94
For example, while the 22-year-old "powerhouse", as dubbed by U23 scout Antonio Mango, comes out second best in specific metrics such as progressive passes, successful take-ons and ball recoveries, he comes out ahead in most others, including non-penalty expected goals and assists, actual non-penalty goals and assists, shots and shots on target, passing accuracy, aerial duels won, progressive carries and shot and goal-creating actions, all per 90.
Shot-creating actions are pieces of play that lead to a shot. These include moments such as a pass, take-on or foul being drawn.
Now, the slight caveat here is that Zirkzee is playing in what many would consider a more challenging league, but with how dramatic the difference is in the pair's numbers, this might not be enough of an excuse.
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Ultimately, United would get a talented striker regardless of who they signed out of the two, but based on their output and underlying numbers from last season, Brobbey does appear to be the more effective number nine and could be the dream alternative to the Bologna man.