As we say, he's a gamble. There's no doubt about that. But if growth. Momentum. If such barometers are used to judge future success, then United - in their new No9 - have landed one in Zirkzee.
A player to put pressure on Rasmus Hojlund? No. Zirkzee will arrive from Bologna - after his two years under Thiago Motta - a more goal-focused centre-forward, sure. But his natural game, by his own admission, will dovetail nicely in and around the Dane. If Erik ten Hag is planning to move away from convention to go with a two-striker attack, then Zirkzee and Hojlund certainly have the potential to complement eachother.
"I'm not a pure centre-forward," stated Zirkzee at the end of last season. "I said a year ago that I liked playing with an attacking partner. But Motta transformed me into a 9 and a half. I like to drop back, play the ball, help the team... and score goals."
Indeed, you can see where Ten Hag's thinking is leading. A twin strike-force? Is this why we're hearing of contact being made with Brentford for Ivan Toney just as Zirkzee is completing a medical at Carrington...?
In any case, United have, in Zirkzee, landed quality. Youth. And with a great margin for improvement. At 23, he arrives on the back of the most successful season of his career. A first in Serie A. A first in reaching goalscoring double figures. And with that, the admiration of and comparisons with some of football's greats.
"Zirkzee reminds me of (Zlatan) Ibrahimovic in certain movements," says Ivan Juric, the now recently former Torino coach. "He is definitely one to watch."
Daniele Massaro, meanwhile, has likened Zirkzee to one of his former AC Milan teammates: “(Marco) Van Basten is there, but Zirkzee can get there. It will be very difficult, but he can get there."
“Joshua has been doing fantastic in Serie A this season from day 1," stated Pierre van Hooijdoink, the former Nottingham Forest and Feyenoord striker before the Euros. "He puts a layer of elegance over his game. I don't see a better striker.
"In the hustle and bustle he knows which door is open."
An opinion that chimes with Heracles Almelo coach Erwin van der Looi: "Zirkzee is a stylist who loves the beauty of the game. He really has many qualities. Two-footed, good technique, excellent in receiving. He also scores completely different goals, from inside or outside the penalty area, from the counter or in possession."
So you get the idea. A stylist. A creator. Dare we say, a footballer's footballer. And for this column, for the past 12 months, a player with the potential to draw comparisons with Eric Cantona.
"Without a doubt my greatest gift is technique: it is the way of showing everyone my essence," says Zirkzee, who admits - similarly to today's generation of cage footballers in England - of honing his game on the streets of Rotterdam.
"If you play on the street you often do it against older guys. You have to find a way to protect yourself, develop more skills: you have to be faster, stronger, have better technique. You want to impress the big guys, earn their respect, show them who's the best. And when you enter a real academy, certain things stay with you and make the difference."
Momentum, as we say, is with Zirkzee. The battles at Bayern Munich and Feyenoord are behind him. He found a platform at Bologna and a coach in Motta that could recognise his gifts and help him express them.
"On the pitch now my movements are different. He (Motta) gave me freedom, he allows me to play tailor-made football. I have a certain ability, he gives me the confidence to enhance it: it's a good feeling."
Indeed, for many, the Dutchman was the best young player in Serie A last season. It's what led to AC Milan making an attempt to prise Zirkzee away before Ten Hag's intervention. A knockdown buyout clause - to the tune of £35m - and Kia Joorabchian's engineering of the situation eventually assisting United in their battle. Zirkzee's agent so eager to place him at Old Trafford that he halved the commission he was demanding from the Rossonero to get the deal done. Kia seeing a greater opportunity for his client at Old Trafford than Milan, despite the presence and endorsement of Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
So it's a coup. A coup for Ten Hag. But also for Jim Ratcliffe. If he wanted a moment to truly mark the launch of this new era, then Zirkzee certainly is worthy. And handing him the coveted No9 shirt only adds to the occasion. Pace. Skill. Style. And with the No9 on his back. A signing to allow the fans to dream.
Joshua Zirkzee to Manchester United is the right deal for this moment in the club's history...