Manchester United could hand Joshua Zirkzee a fresh opportunity following Benjamin Sesko's injury earlier this month
Joshua Zirkzee
Joshua Zirkzee has found regular game time difficult to come by at Man United - and is now wanted by Roma
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Manchester United can count their lucky stars that they never broke the bank to sign Evan Ferguson.
United had tracked the Irish striker for years, with scouting reports dating back to his teenage days at Bohemians. The club even came close to a £50million move last summer - a dream destination for Ferguson, who admitted to supporting United as a boy.
"I supported United as a boy," Ferguson told the Daily Mail. "You had the Rooneys, the [Dimitar] Berbatovs and obviously Danny Welbeck. They’ve always had a good thing going with the striker."
But Ferguson's career has stalled in recent years, and he's now struggling at Roma with no goals to his name this season. He has recently been battling an injury, but could soon find himself facing the prospect of less game time.
That's because Roma are interested in signing Joshua Zirkzee, a player who is well down Ruben Amorim's pecking order and has seen just 90 minutes of action all season.
The fact that Roma are planning to effectively replace a striker who was considered one of the world's brightest prospects only a few years ago with Zirkzee speaks volumes about his drop-off.
In hindsight, United can count themselves fortunate they never pulled the trigger, especially considering their history with expensive mistakes.
Whether or not United allow Zirkzee to leave in January is another matter. Benjamin Sesko's knee injury presents a potential pathway back into the first team, though Matheus Cunha is expected to be Amorim's go-to man in the Slovenian's absence.
Sesko could be out for three to five weeks, so Zirkzee has a window to show his worth. With attackers Amad and Bryan Mbeumo heading to the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) to represent Ivory Coast and Cameroon, respectively, United will be short of attacking players, with reports earlier this year claiming that Zirkzee won't be allowed to leave in January as a result.
The 24-year-old has been linked with a move away in the New Year with hopes of getting more regular first-team action ahead of the World Cup next summer. The Daily Mail claim that Roma is one of striker's main options and that the striker will push for a move away if minutes between now and the transfer window don't prove forthcoming.
The form of former Manchester United target Evan Ferguson has fallen off a cliff
The form of former Manchester United target Evan Ferguson has fallen off a cliff
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The report added that those close to the player feel a 'crucial opportunity' is opening up for the 24-year-old due to Sesko's injury but only time will tell if he benefits from it or not.
Roma will be monitoring the situation closely, with an eye on pursuing a loan with an option to buy. Their interest in him perhaps comes as no surprise, given Ferguson, 21, has zero goals in 10 appearances this season.
Artem Dovbyk has also regularly led the line for Roma but has hardly been prolific himself, with two goals in 14 games.
Roma manager Gian Piero Gasperini previously called on Ferguson to do more but has vowed to be patient with him. "He has to deliver on the pitch and his performances haven't been positive," he said last month.
"To be honest, yesterday was the first time I saw him train properly. He's coming from the Premier League, and he hasn't played much last season. We need to be patient with him."
However, reports in Italy claim that Roma want to [renegotiate the terms of the loan deal](https://twitter.com/DeadlineDayLive/status/1982420696593580351?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 26, 2025 ), with the 21-year-old potentially returning to the Seagulls in January.
United have made plenty of errors in the transfer market in the past and come under scrutiny for it. Ferguson's name could've been added to that list, given how his career has gone since his breakthrough at Brighton but the club got it right this time by holding fire.
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