Manchester United star Joshua Zirkzee could be offered a quickfire route out of Old Trafford as Serie A heavyweights Juventus have a genuine interest in securing his services when the fast-approaching winter transfer window opens for business at the turn of the year, GIVEMESPORT sources have revealed.
Portuguese tactician Ruben Amorim is looking to make his mark after being officially unveiled as Erik ten Hag's successor earlier this month, having seen the Red Devils part with more than £10million in compensation to lure him and members of his coaching staff away from Sporting ahead of schedule.
Although Leny Yoro proved to be Manchester United's most expensive acquisition of the summer, thanks to a £58.9million deal being agreed with Lille, Zirkzee was also among the recruits and he may be handed an opportunity to embark on a fresh challenge a matter of months after heading to the Premier League for the first time.
Juventus Open to Handing Zirkzee Exit Route
Serie A side keeping tabs on striker's situation at Old Trafford
Manchester United striker Joshua Zirkzee during a training session
Juventus' interest in landing Zirkzee is 'absolutely genuine', GMS sources have been told by insiders in Turin, and they are refusing to rule out the possibility of testing Manchester United's resolve with a formal proposal in January after seeing him struggle to make a telling impact since his summer move.
The striker found the back of the net 11 times in 34 Serie A outings last season, which played a pivotal role in Bologna qualifying for this term's Champions League and the Red Devils scrambling for his signature, and the Bianconeri are open to handing him the opportunity to return to Italy in quickfire fashion.
Zirkzee has struggled for regular game time since heading to Manchester United in the summer and has only found the back of the net once, when he grabbed the winner in an opening day victory over Fulham, and GMS sources have been informed that Juventus are happy to continue keeping tabs on his situation before potentially pouncing.
Joshua Zirkzee's statistics in all competitions for Manchester United this season
The Red Devils forked out close to £37million in order to tempt Bologna into sanctioning the Netherlands international's departure from the Stadio Renato Dall'Ara in July, and ten Hag's sacking last month has resulted in him having the challenge of winning over successor Amorim before the transfer window reopens.
Although Juventus are not poised to immediately push for Zirkzee as their priority is to strengthen their defensive options before turning their attentions towards adding firepower, GMS sources have learned they are planning to carry on monitoring whether there is scope for him to leave Manchester United even though he is expected to stay.
Amorim Wants More Time to Assess Zirkzee
Netherlands international set for opportunities in December
Joshua Zirkzee at Manchester United
Manchester United head coach Amorim wants to be given more time to judge how Zirkzee will fit into his plans before deciding whether to cash in, according to GMS sources, and a jam-picked fixture schedule between now and the end of 2024 will result in him having the perfect chance to fully assess the situation.
The Red Devils are preparing for nine fixtures in the space of 30 days - which includes facing the likes of Arsenal, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur - and the 23-year-old will have opportunities to prove his worth in that timeframe after penning a five-year contract which allows him to pocket £105,000-per-week when he arrived from Bologna.
Zirkzee has only played the full 90 minutes once this season, which came in a 3-0 win over Southampton in September, and GMS sources understand that European giants Juventus are keeping an eye on whether he is able to force his way into the forefront of Amorim's plans at Manchester United.
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GMS recently revealed that the Red Devils always saw the former Bayern Munich man as a long-term project instead of being a marksman who is capable of becoming an instant success story, but he could be handed the chance to head to the Allianz Stadium during the early stages of 2025.
All statistics courtesy of Sofascore - correct as of 29/11/2024