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Aston Villa boss Unai Emery | Getty Images
Aston Villa boss Unai Emery has the chance to bring in some new faces in the January transfer window
Unai Emery’s side have seen an upturn in form over recent times following a tough start to the season. They have the chance to bring in some new faces when the January transfer window opens up for business. The Midlands outfit also have the opportunity to let some players head out the exit door as well if needed to free up space and funds this winter.
Aston Villa eye Manchester United striker Joshua Zirkzee
Aston Villa ‘admire’ Manchester United striker Joshua Zirkzee, according to Caught Offside. Brighton and Hove Albion and West Ham have also been credited with an interest. In addition, the report adds that Juventus, AC Milan and Como are also in the frame for his signature.
Zirkzee, 24, is under contract at Old Trafford until the summer of 2029 meaning he still has lots of time left to run on his deal. However, he has struggled to make an impact with the Red Devils since his £37 million switch and his future is up in the air in the North West. He has made 54 appearances in all competitions for them to date, five of which have come in this campaign, and he has scored seven goals.
The Holland international, who has six caps to his name, was on the books of Bayern Munich from 2019 to 2022 and was loaned out by the Bundesliga giants to Parma and Anderlecht to get some experience under his belt and boost his development. He then joined Bologna and was a hit during his time in Serie A. The forward found the net on 14 occasions in 58 outings before heading out the exit door for a new challenge in his career in England.
Would Joshua Zirkzee be a good signing for Aston Villa?
Zirkzee hasn’t exactly set the world alight at Manchester United. It would be a surprise to see Aston Villa sign him. If he did join Emery’s side, he would give them back-up in attack behind Ollie Watkins but he would be unlikely to start initially.
Going back to Italy would probably be a better option for him. He did well there with Bologna and has proved he can score goals. The player is still relatively young and has potential to find his shooting boots somewhere else if he left United for a fresh start.
Speaking earlier this year, the Red Devils’ boss Ruben Amorim had this to say about Zirkzee: “I think he's improving in a lot of aspects. I think he needs to be more selfish, and that is a thing when you play as a striker. He's not a typical striker, but he has to be more selfish. He's more aggressive now, he works better now, he's defending better now, he's connecting quite well.”
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