Joshua Zirkzee’s agent is reportedly set to meet with Manchester United in the ‘next few days’ to understand their plan for the striker amid links with Juventus.
The 23-year-old swapped Bologna for Man Utd in the summer for £36.5m (€42.5m, $46.3m) but he has not lived up to that sizeable price tag thus far.
Zirkzee has scored just three goals, and created two assists, in 23 appearances for the Red Devils this term and currently, he is behind Rasmus Hojlund in the attacking pecking order.
His lack of game time, with the Dutchman starting just five Premier League games, has led to links with a Serie A return in recent weeks, and that speculation appears to be ramping up.
TuttoSport claim Juventus are ‘seriously’ pushing for a move and that manager Thiago Motta would welcome him with open arms, but they cannot afford anything beyond a loan deal.
The report adds the Netherlands international’s agent, Kia Joorabchian, will meet with United in the coming days so that they can assess what to do with the forward in January.
United’s upcoming games with Tottenham in the Carabao Cup and Bournemouth in the Premier League could reportedly determine Zirkzee’s future, with Joorabchian eager to see his client getting minutes.
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Juventus connection makes sense
Question marks have been raised if Zirkzee is well-suited to the fast-paced Premier League, with United legend Paul Scholes doubting his quality in front of goal.
But Zirkzee showed he can be a useful asset in Serie A after scoring 12 goals and bagging seven assists for Bologna in the 2023/24 campaign.
When he was still at the Italian team, then-manager Motta likened Zirkzee to Brazil icon Ronaldinho, no less.
Motta previously said: “Seeing him [Zirkzee] day to day, he reminds me of the Ronaldinho I played with at Barcelona. But I cannot compare him to anyone. He is Joshua, he is special, he enjoys his football and above all works very hard in training.”
TEAMtalk previously revealed that United are not giving up on Zirkzee but they are also not ruling out a January loan move for the 6ft 4in man. An intriguing month or so lies ahead.
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United minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe is understood to have confirmed to Marcus Rashford that he will be allowed to leave in January for the right price.
However, reports suggest Arsenal will not be moving to recruit the 27-year-old, whose contract at Old Trafford runs until 2028.
TEAMtalk revealed that discussions between United and defender Harry Maguire over a new contract have been ‘positive’ and there is a ‘need’ to keep the 31-year-old.
The England international received glowing praise from head coach Ruben Amorim after their 2-1 win at Manchester City and now a two-year deal is being discussed.
Finally, the agent of Theo Hernandez, who has been on United’s radar as they look for a new left-back, has seemingly ruled out an AC Milan exit as he says the Frenchman wants to extend his stay at the Serie A team.
Zirkzee’s spell at Man Utd so far
Joshua Zirkzee this season: Appearances 23 Goals 3 Assists 2 Minutes per goal 309.67 Conversion Rate 15.79%