Manchester United striker Joshua Zirkzee is attracting interest this summer transfer window, and has dropped down the pre-season pecking order as players return
Joshua Zirkzee looking on before a Manchester United pre-season friendly
Juventus are interested in Joshua Zirkzee(Image: Manchester United via Getty Images)
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Juventus reportedly want £60million for Francisco Conceicao and wants to sign Joshua Zirkzee in a separate deal.
Conceicao, 23, is who Manchester United are said to have turned their spotlight on during talks with the Turin club. Juventus have already signed another wide player, Kerim Alajbegovic, during this summer transfer window and are reportedly open to selling the Portugal international.
Liverpool have also been credited with an interest in Conceicao, who only joined the Serie A side permanently last summer after spending the previous season on loan from Porto. Juventus initially paid a £9million loan fee, then a further £27million.
Tuttomercato claims that the suspicion is that they have signed Alajbegovic as a strategic move to give Conceicao the green light to go. The discussion is described as open, with Juventus' relationship with United apparently good and favoured by the player's agent, Jorge Mendes.
Conceicao is part of the same Gestifute agency as Leny Yoro and Manuel Ugarte. Mendes also represents Mateus Fernandes, whom United pursued earlier this summer before West Ham United sold the Portuguese playmaker to Tottenham Hotspur.
Zirkzee, meanwhile, has reportedly opened up to a return to Italy. However, they acknowledge that the Netherlands international 'earns a lot'.
As reported earlier this summer, any move is likely to be a loan with an option or obligation to buy, with a deal now said to be close. The former would make it a similar arrangement to Barcelona's signing of Marcus Rashford last summer.
United's academy graduate is due back in a couple of weeks, with all roads leading to reconciliation and another chance at his boyhood club. Rashford staying will seemingly impact any interest in Conceicao.
They appear unlikely to pursue another winger if he sticks around. Instead, if Zirkzee departs, there remains a possibility that United will sign another striker, but it is not yet a high priority.
The expectation is that Benjamin Sesko will have a more prominent role this season. Bryan Mbeumo, meanwhile, played as a centre-forward during United's pre-season friendly against Atletico Madrid.
Sesko stepped up his return to training from a shin injury last week. Matheus Cunha, who has returned to Carrington this week, is also an option to start as the furthest player forward, having done so several times last season.
Rashford, too, has previously done so during his time with the club. His return is likely to reduce further opportunities for Zirkzee to feature at all under Michael Carrick.