Roma Sporting Director Frederic Massara was tight-lipped when questioned by the press about the club’s active pursuit of Manchester United forward Joshua Zirkzee, maintaining a cautious stance on the January transfer market.
Massara was asked directly if his recent trips to the UK—which have been widely reported as part of negotiations for Zirkzee—had led to a breakthrough.
He said, relayed by [Tmw](https://www.tuttomercatoweb.com/serie-a/roma-massara-ferguson-via-mai-sentito-di-questa-eventualita-e-dribbla-su-zirkzee-2179688): “I _think we are running a bit too fast. The trips to Britain were for the important games against Rangers and Celtic. We have three games yet to play, so it’s premature to talk about the January transfer market too.”_
The comments came amid reports that Massara had secured a green light from the club’s ownership to accelerate the deal, with Zirkzee also open to a Serie A return.
**The Context**
Despite the director’s insistence that talks are premature, reports suggest Roma’s initial attempt to secure a deal for Zirkzee—a loan with a purchase obligation conditional on Champions League qualification—was rejected by Manchester United, who prefer a straight sale or a mandatory purchase clause for their €35-40 million rated forward.