I think you could argue that Ten Hag's past relationship with De Light helped with his transfer, while Zirkzee was signed from Bologna iirc. On the other hand, the media reported that Zirkzee and Musiala are very close, with both of them jokingly telling each other to join their club[1]. I don't think transfer directors will look at this and say, "hey, we have a decent chance to sign him". Only social media fans will take this news and make their own fanfiction from this.

If I were a young player with great potential I'd avoid signing for United this season. It's unclear if Ten Hag controls the dressing room or not, plus there are tons of cases where a player failed to perform at Manchester United whether it's due to their age, wrong playing position, etc. CMIIW.

[1] https://metro.co.uk/2024/09/07/bayern-munich-star-says-joshua-zirkzee-tried-get-join-man-utd-21565054/