Manchester United are finally clicking into gear and it could spell the end of the road for striker Joshua Zirkzee's time at the club.
The Red Devils made it three wins in a row with an 4-2 victory over Brighton at Old Trafford. That result pushed Ruben Amorim's side into fourth position in the Premier League table and within three points of table-topping Arsenal, for the time being at least.
In a clinical display, it was Amorim's attacking trio of Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesko who made the difference. Casemiro, Cunha and Mbeumo (2) found the back of the net, while Sesko provided an assist for Man United in a morale-boosting win over Fabian Hurzeler's side.
It means that things are really starting to click into place in the final third, which is great news for supporters, but not so much for an exit-bound star.
Joshua Zirkzee's Man United Fate Is Sealed
Joshua Zirkzee in action for Manchester United
Man United's need to strengthen in attack was made very clear as the club committed to spending in excess of £200million to bring in Mbeumo, Cunha and Sesko to the club. As a result, it was clear that this would be the Red Devils' first-choice trio providing that nothing unforeseen occurred.
Against Brighton, we saw an attacking unit who are building real cohesion. As a result, with no European football to contend with, it gives Amorim the opportunity to stick with this formula for the majority of fixtures being played. That is bad news for Zirkzee, who is now fully aware of where he stands in the United pecking order.
Introduced in the 82nd minute against the Seagulls with the result all but wrapped up, Zirkzee made just his fifth appearance of the season so far. Notably, four of these five appearances have been for 10 minutes or fewer.
The 24-year-old was heavily linked with a move away from Old Trafford over the summer. As a result, Roma are monitoring his situation ahead of the January transfer window with the writing firmly on the wall for the striker.
Since joining the club for £36.5million in the summer of 2024 and signing a £131,000-a-week contract, Zirkzee has made 53 appearances for Man United, scoring just seven times in the process.
The Red Devils have already seen Rasmus Hojlund move on a season-long loan deal with an obligation to move permanently if Napoli earn Champions League football.
If Zirkzee does move on, it could leave Man United a little bit short of options in attack, but given his lack of impact so far, it certainly seems like his days in Manchester are coming to an end.