Manchester United could part ways with Joshua Zirkzee in the near future.
The Red Devils currently have Benjamin Sesko and Zirkzee as their specialist centre-forward options, but the latter could head for the exit door this summer.
Zirkzee was touted to return to Serie A at the start of the year, and the speculation has once again intensified with Juventus weighing up an approach.
Gazzetta dello Sport today claim that the Bianconeri have shifted focus to landing the Dutchman amid their struggles to sign Kolo Muani from Paris Saint-Germain.
It is added that United could accept £30-34m for the 25-year-old. The Red Devils have not ruled out a creative formula to part ways with the Bayern graduate.
Juventus could land Zirkzee on loan with a buy obligation
The former Bologna man has failed to meet expectations since his switch to the Premier League. He has netted just five goals from 56 appearances in the English top-flight.
Zirkzee initially played second fiddle to Rasmus Hojlund during his debut season (2024/25). He had a similar role last campaign after the arrival of Benjamin Sesko to replace Hojlund.
There were plenty of games last season when Sesko was on the bench, but it was either Bryan Mbeumo or Matheus Cunha, who were picked to lead the line in those instances.
Zirkzee made a start against Sunderland towards the end of last season, but his performance was quite dreadful with 64 percent duels lost. He completed just 61 percent of his passes.
United quite clearly need to offload him and pursue a quality backup striker such as Crystal Palace’s Jean-Philippe Mateta, who is Premier League-proven and could be signed on the cheap.
The Frenchman has entered the last year of his Palace deal and could be recruited for £20-25m. He would be a proper upgrade and offer a genuine scoring threat with his physical and aerial presence upfront.
Meanwhile, Juventus may not be able to afford Zirkzee in a single payment. They could either negotiate a long-term payment plan or a loan with an obligation to buy based on certain conditions.
United accepted a similar proposal from Napoli for Hojlund last summer. The Dane was signed on loan with a conditional obligation to buy for £38m if they qualified for the Champions League.
The Bianconeri may seek a similar solution with United, which could be accepted.
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