Joshua Zirkzee has seen his playing time dwindle in the last few games under interim boss Ruud van Nistelrooy and he could be leaving Manchester United already – months after he joined – with Juventus interested
Manchester United forward Joshua Zirkzee has reportedly been offered an escape route out of Old Trafford by Juventus – just months after joining the club – with new boss Ruben Amorim said to be “unconvinced” by the Belgian star.
The 23-year-old joined United from Bologna for around £37million this summer but he has only scored once from 16 appearances and there have been doubts over whether he is a right fit for the club.
He has seen his playing time dwindle in the last few games under interim boss Ruud van Nistelrooy, who only used him as a sub, with his previous start in the Premier League coming in the 3-0 loss to Tottenham in September.
Despite only just putting pen to paper on a five-year deal, Zirkzee could be on his way already, with Calciomercato reporting that Juventus are considering a move for the player in January.
A switch to Turin would reunite him with Thiago Motta, who was his manager at Bologna last season, the man who got the best out of him as he scored 12 times in 37 appearances.
The report says Motta is seeking a back-up striking option to Dusan Vlahovic, with the future of Arkadiusz Milik uncertain and Nico Gonzalez susceptible to injuries.
The same outlet previously claimed new boss Amorim was not fully convinced about Zirkzee – after initial reports that Erik ten Hag did not want to sign him.
Amorim is understood to be planning his own list of forward targets to bring in, having been linked with his former Sporting star Viktor Gyokeres, who has taken the football world by storm after 23 goals in 18 games this season already.
The report adds that United would only be willing to send Zirkzee out on loan after chiefs splashed out a big sum for him – and still see him as a future success.
Juventus would be happy to take Zirkzee on loan, it says, but may ask for an obligation to ensure the club can sign him next summer – with talks over a new deal for Vlahovic still not coming to fruition.
Zirkzee started his career with Bayern Munich before playing for Parma and Anderlecht on loan and eventually joined Bologna on a permanent deal in 2022. He scored 14 goals in all competitions for the Serie A side across two seasons before joining United.
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