Can Joshua Zirkzee Really Boost AS Roma If He Joins This Winter? | OneFootball

The rumor mill won’t shut up about it — Joshua Zirkzee, the Dutch forward now linked to AS Roma for a winter move. It sounds like one of those mid-season stories that either change a team’s rhythm completely or disappear by February. But this one has a real bite. Because Zirkzee isn’t just another name on a long list of hopefuls. He’s young, already proven in Serie A, and strangely hard to categorize.

He’s tall, yes — about 1.93 m — which immediately gives the lazy headline writers something to play with: “Roma eye towering Dutchman.” But anyone who’s actually watched him knows he’s more ballet than bulldozer. His touch is clean, his awareness sharper than you’d expect for a forward that size. He plays with a bit of swagger, dropping deep to link up, rolling defenders with little half-turns that make you blink twice.

What He Actually Brings

When Bologna picked him up, few expected much beyond depth. Instead, Zirkzee gave them rhythm. He didn’t score every weekend — 13 goals in roughly 50 league matches isn’t golden-boot territory — but his fingerprints were on everything that clicked. The short passes around the box. The give-and-go sequences that dragged defenders out of shape. The small, clever runs that opened a lane for someone else.

It’s not about the headline stats; it’s how he stitches the attack together. He’s one of those players you appreciate more live than on a highlight reel. In Serie A’s tight spaces, that matters.

Roma, under pressure to reclaim consistency and identity, could use exactly that. Their forward line often looks functional but not fluid — strong individuals operating without rhythm. A player who naturally connects midfielders and wide men might smooth the rough edges.

The Fit in Roma’s System

Tactically, Zirkzee makes sense if Roma keep alternating between a 3-5-2 and 4-2-3-1. He could work as the lone forward in front of Paulo Dybala, dropping deep to pull markers while Dybala or Pellegrini attack the gaps. Or he could pair with a traditional striker — someone who thrives off service — letting Zirkzee handle link-up and pressing.

He’s flexible enough to play wide left too, drifting in like an inverted forward, but that would waste his frame in aerial battles. Roma’s best use case might be to give him freedom in the half-spaces — not nailed to the penalty spot, but not too far from it either.

Of course, the risk is that freedom turns into confusion. If the structure around him isn’t balanced, his tendency to roam could leave Roma short in the box when crosses fly in. It’s a delicate balance: let him move, but give him fixed reference points.

Where It Could Go Wrong

Let’s be real — Zirkzee’s finishing isn’t elite yet. He can fluff sitters, lose sharpness under pressure, or choose an extra pass when the shot is obvious. That’s the difference between an exciting forward and a reliable scorer. In a league where margins are razor thin, Roma can’t afford too many wasted chances.

Then there’s the timing. A January move means minimal adaptation time. He’ll have to adjust to new teammates, new instructions, and Roman expectations — which are unforgiving at best. If he arrives after limited minutes at Manchester United, he’ll also need fitness and match rhythm.

And Roma’s wage and transfer structure isn’t built for risks. A loan with an option to buy seems the only feasible deal. Anything permanent now would stretch their budget and squeeze flexibility elsewhere.

But If It Works…

If it works, though, the upside is huge. Zirkzee gives Roma an attack that can breathe. Someone who can press high, combine low, and still occupy both centre-backs when necessary. The kind of forward who makes everyone around him look a little better — midfielders with more options, wingers with clearer lanes, creative players with someone who actually understands the rhythm of a move.

There’s also a psychological lift. A winter signing like him signals intent. It says Roma aren’t content hovering between fifth and seventh; they want a puncher’s chance at Champions League football. Every squad needs that shot of ambition midway through a long, grinding season.

And if the chemistry clicks — if Zirkzee adapts, finds confidence, and gives them goals — Roma could start climbing. Maybe not to the very top, but high enough to matter.

The Bigger Picture

The transfer won’t single-handedly change Roma’s destiny, but it could shift perception. They’ve hovered on the edge of relevance in European competitions. A sharper second half of the season, boosted by a new striker who actually fits the tempo, might push them up not just the league table but in metrics like FIFA club rankings, the kind of global measure that quietly shapes reputation, sponsorship, and future signings.

That’s not something fans chant about, but inside boardrooms, it counts.

Final Thought

Joshua Zirkzee isn’t the sort of player who crashes into a club and drags it forward by force. He’s subtler — someone who lets a team rediscover its rhythm, the way a new metronome changes a band’s sound. Roma have been missing that for a while.

If the deal happens and if the club gives him the right platform, he could make them more coherent, less predictable, maybe even more joyful to watch. But that’s a lot of ifs for a winter transfer.

Still, it’s the kind of risk worth taking — because every once in a while, football rewards the clubs that gamble on talent that doesn’t fit the usual mold. And Zirkzee? He’s exactly that kind of bet.