Joshua Zirkzee is in a battle to secure his long-term Manchester United future just a few months after joining the club and a top Italian reporter has revealed what the former Bologna striker and current Juventus target is leaning towards with regards to a January transfer.
Zirkzee is stuck on one goal for Man Utd, which he scored on his debut – meaning he is currently on a 17-game goal drought. Even players like Casemiro and Christian Eriksen have scored more than him this season. Thus, pressure is on the £36.5m striker signing, who has been linked with a move back to Italy even as early as the January transfer window.
Juventus are one club to have been tipped to raid Man Utd for Zirkzee, since they could reunite him with his former Bologna boss, Thiago Motta.
However, Sky Sport Italia expert Gianluca Di Marzio has revealed that a January exit for Zirkzee has been ‘ruled out’.
That’s because the 23-year-old wants to win the trust of new Man Utd head coach Ruben Amorim, which is what he is ‘only thinking’ about right now.
In Amorim’s first game in charge, a 1-1 draw with Ipswich Town, Zirkzee came on for the last 22 minutes, but in the next game against Bodo/Glimt, he was an unused sub.
But rather than thinking of how to get out of Old Trafford at the earliest opportunity, Zirkzee seems to be keen to win over Amorim – though that will require a major upturn in form.
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Zirkzee could leave on loan
Zirkzee signed a contract until 2029 when he joined Man Utd in the summer, but the Premier League giants are still waiting for a return on their investment.
And while the Netherlands international may want to fight for his place, TEAMtalk has discovered that Zirkzee could be made available on loan midway through the season.
Man Utd are not giving up on Zirkzee, but wouldn’t rule out a loan on the condition that it would benefit his development and that Amorim’s side could bring in a replacement.
Our sources did confirm, though, that there was a likelihood of Zirkzee seeing out the season in Manchester.
He needs to quickly get up to speed with how his new manager wants him to play, though, with Amorim admitting after the Ipswich draw: “Josh has to understand that he has to go to the box to have the crosses.”
Man Utd transfers: First Amorim casualty/stance on Portuguese raids
Meanwhile, a different underperforming attacker has been labelled as the ‘most obvious’ candidate to leave Man Utd in the first transfer window since Amorim was appointed.
Antony is the player in question, with a detailed lowdown on Man Utd’s transfer plans explaining that the failed Erik ten Hag signing will be put up for sale in an effort to raise funds for new signings – even if his value has dropped considerably since the club bought him in 2022.
And in terms of who those new signings could be, there have been rumours about Amorim wanting to bring Portuguese defender Tomas Araujo to the club from Benfica.
Araujo is also admired by Chelsea, but Amorim could use his Portuguese connections to influence a deal – although a senior Sky Sports News reporter has namedropped two other potential Primeira Liga targets in an explanation of whether the new boss has advised about any transfer options yet.
Zirkzee compared to last season
Appearances Bologna 14 Man Utd 18 Starts Bologna 13 Man Utd 7 Goals Bologna 6 Man Utd 1 Assists Bologna 2 Man Utd 2
Zirkzee’s stats by the end of November last season with Bologna vs this season with Man Utd