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Napoli manager Antonio Conte has reportedly requested his club to sign Manchester United striker Joshua Zirkzee after his struggles in England. The Dutch striker has failed to hit the ground running in England, finding the net only three times since his arrival from Bologna.
Zirkzee was a hit in Thiago Motta's Bologna side that qualified for the UEFA Champions League in the 2023-24 season, scoring 11 goals in 34 appearances in the league. His performances earned him a move to the Red Devils in the summer which hasn't worked out, and Il Mattino reports that Conte has given the go-ahead for his club to sign him.
Napoli have been receptive to Antonio Conte's requests since he was appointed as the club's new manager in the summer. The club believes they have a good relationship with Manchester United, having taken midfielder Scott McTominay off their hands in the summer, as well.
McTominay's transfer has been a success, with the midfielder contributing three goals and an assist in 12 league appearances for his side, who sit second in Serie A. Napoli's experience with McTominay has emboldened Conte, who is willing to take advantage of the uncertainty surrounding the future of Zirkzee and make a move for him.
Napoli signed Belgian striker Romelu Lukaku from Chelsea in the summer, and he has contributed five goals and four assists in 13 league appearances. The club may view Zirkzee as a complementary player to Lukaku, hence their interest in him.
The Partenopei were one of the clubs in Italy, alongside AC Milan, interested in signing Zirkzee before he moved to Manchester United for £36.5 million. The 23-year-old striker is unhappy with life in England and may consider a return to Italy in January.
Manchester United set for major rebuild, only three players considered untouchable - Reports
Manchester United are prepared to undergo a major rebuild under Ruben Amorim in the wake of their apparent struggles in recent seasons. The Red Devils are prepared to sanction the sales of most of their squad if reasonable offers come in for them.
The exit of Dan Ashworth has been followed by reports from talkSPORT that only the trio of Alejandro Garnacho, Amad Diallo, and Kobbie Mainoo are safe in the Red Devils squad. The club considers the remainder of the players on its roster as being for sale and will sanction their exits for the right amount.
Manchester United are 13th in the Premier League with 19 points from 15 matches and are already eight points away from fourth-placed Manchester City. The club is willing to go through with the player sales to raise money to build a squad of Amorim's choosing in the coming windows.
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Edited by Ankush Das