Manchester United have sanctioned the exit of Joe Hugill with the forward joining Kilmarnock, but have no plans to let Joshua Zirkzee leave the club in January
Joshua Zirkzee has fallen down the pecking order at Old Trafford
Joshua Zirkzee has fallen down the pecking order at Old Trafford(Image: Getty Images)
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Manchester United have sold forward Joe Hugill but Michael Carrick has no plans to continue a frontline exodus by sanctioning the exit of Joshua Zirkzee.
Hugill, now 22, has been at the club since signing as a teenager from Sunderland but has been unable to break into the first-team picture. He's had spell away from Old Trafford with the likes of Altrincham, Burton Albion, Wigan and Carlisle, but will now complete a permanent move to Kilmarnock.
United don't intend to let Zirkzee follow him out of the exit door despite there being talk of the Dutchman heading back to Italy, where he initially made his name before joining the Premier League giants in 2024.
He has struggled for goals in that time, which led the club to invest heavily in their frontline, pushing him down the pecking order, and the likes of Juventus have been linked with a move.
Carrick though insists he's ready to have Zirkzee be part of his squad. He said: "Josh is just trying to work to get fit and get around the group. It has been great to have him back training with the group for the first time. That is as far as it goes, for me and for Josh. I am looking forward to working with him. That's it, nothing else has been needed to be said."
Zirkzee has been limited to just four Premier League starts and has only scored twice this term with minutes hard to come by. He saw Rasmus Hojlund leave in the summer and the Dane has since impressed back in Italy with Napoli, but it doesn't look as if Zirkzee will be joining him.
Carrick had been told that, despite being named head coach until the end of the season, he would have to work with the squad he inherited. United's recruitment plans are on hold until the summer but the man in the dugout is not ruling out any just yet with the window closing on Monday night.
Joe Hugill has left Manchester on a permanent basis
Joe Hugill has left Manchester on a permanent basis(Image: PA)
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He said: "I think we are just working through it, never say never. A lot can happen and situations can be thrown up. Sometimes it is in our control, sometimes it is out of our control that we have got to deal with. We are calm, I am pretty calm. We have got and we have shown what we are capable of doing as a team. We will have to see what the next few days bring. But we are calm about it."
United's major target is a midfielder, but their targets will not be available until the summer and won't come cheap. They're eyeing the likes of Elliot Anderson, Adam Wharton and Carlos Baleba.
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