Joshua Zirkzee’s Manchester United stint may be short-lived, as reports link the Dutch forward with a potential January departure.
United signed Zirkzee from Bologna for £36.5m in the summer. He made his debut as a substitute in the opening fixture against Fulham, scoring the match’s only goal, however, the move overall has not worked out for him with him failing to impress so far.
The turning point came during United’s 2-0 defeat to Newcastle, where manager Ruben Amorim substituted Zirkzee after just 33 minutes. The Old Trafford faithful jeered him off the pitch, leaving the player reportedly in tears.
Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville described the situation as “brutal,” saying, “I actually feel sorry for him. There is a human being in there. He is being cheered off by his own fans, and that is brutal.”
As per recent reports, he has had a falling out with the manager after the incident and is now looking to force a move away this month.
Another report states that the manager himself is keen on offloading him, having been left unimpressed by him.
Swap deal with Dusan Vlahovic in the works?
Among clubs interested in signing him are Italian giants Juventus and Napoli. Juventus, in particular, appear to be more keen on securing his transfer, with the club’s sporting director Cristiano Giuntoli also recently hinting at a potential move.
However, Juventus’ financial constraints mean they can only pursue a loan deal, prompting discussions of a creative solution.
According to journalist Enrico Camelio (via Radio Radio Lo Sport), Manchester United and Juventus are exploring the possibility of a sensational swap deal involving Zirkzee and Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic.
He said:
“In Italy he had done well in Parma and then very well in Bologna precisely with Motta. We are working on it, but there is an idea of an exchange between Vlahovic and Zirkzee, let’s see how the situation evolves.
“The idea is plausible; the Dutchman would find the coach who consecrated him again.”
A win-win for Manchester United?
United have long admired Vlahovic, and a swap deal would present an opportunity to secure the prolific Serbian striker. Vlahovic has already netted seven goals in Serie A this season, adding to an impressive total of 53 goals and 11 assists in 123 appearances for Juventus.
If the deal goes through, Manchester United could address two key concerns: offloading an underperforming player and bolstering their attacking options with a proven goalscorer. Additionally, beating rivals Chelsea and Arsenal, who are also reportedly interested in Vlahovic—would be a significant coup for the Red Devils.
If there’s any possibility in this then bite Juve’s hand off, ASAP!!
This could be an amazing deal if Sir Jimmy and Sir Daaaave and Omar can do anything right…make this happen!
I like this swap deal very much, since I have been wanting/expecting that MU to buy Vlahovic for the past two years. Eric Ten Had did not do a right buy at all. Cody Gakpo was begging ETH but that useless bought that useless Antony, who is doing a fantastic job at Liverpool. Sane is the one I would like MU to buy, since he is a free agent now. Let us see how it goes
Bloggers should learn empathy and not willy nilly tear down players who do not hit the ground running . Apart from a few , bloggers have been having Hail Mary’s over Zirkzee ‘s below par performance against Newcastle , these are budding players who need nurturing and confidence building not bashing them . After all he was played out of position because of Bruno’s red card.
I admire Ruben Amorim since he arrived at Old Trafford and m very convinced he will do fantastically well to restore our lost glory . Lest Amorim falls in same trap like his predecessor Eric Ten Hag , what he did to Joshua Zirkzee during the game against Newcastle was wrong and unbecoming and unwarranted . Yes Zirkzee was jittery and seemingly uncoordinated and yes Amorim had to substitute him but the manner in which it was executed was debilitating and demeaning and the fans behaviour was abhorrent, cruel and mean . The boy just turned up and is still learning the ropes plus a new environment is a challenge , he was playing in unfamiliar territory after Captain Bruno sacrificed the team by needlessly getting a second yellow . Have often read fans berating Zirkzee underperformance , pitted against Antony who not only cost upwards of 85m pounds and spent well over 2 seasons now , who is a flop ? Compare their performance objectively and Joshua eclipses Antony in all respects. I wish you the best Zirkzee regardless of what decision you take , though I would urge you to remain at Old Trafford , resolutely geared to prove us all wrong.