Marko Arnautovic's move to Inter at the start of this past season was a massive blow for Bologna. The Austrian attacker had been their talisman for two seasons, and it was felt his goals would be sorely missed. His supposed successor, meanwhile, didn't look up to the task of leading the line.
Joshua Zirkzee had scored just two goals in his first season in Serie A and there were legitimate doubts among the fans and in the press over his attitude. Not even his coach was convinced - and yet nine months on, Thiago Motta was labelling Zirkzee a "leader" and compared him to one of his former Barcelona team-mates.
“He said that 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," Motta told Sky Sport Italia. "But I cannot compare him to anyone. He is just Joshua, and he is special."
It's a view that was seemingly shared by scouts from Manchester United, Arsenal, AC Milan and Juventus, making Zirkzee one of the most coveted players on the transfer market this summer. It is United, however, who have won the race for the 23-year-old after agreeing to pay in excess of his €40 million (£33.5m/$43.5m) release clause.
As such, GOAL is here to tell you everything you need to know about the former Bayern Munich prodigy who belatedly realised his world-class potential in Bologna...