Football
European Giants Plot Joshua Zirkzee Move With Striker’s Agent Set For Showdown Talks With Manchester United
Kieran Lynch is a sports writer specialising in football and Formula One. He is a sports journalism graduate of Leeds Trinity University and completed a Press Association NCTJ course in Newcastle. He previously worked as a news reporter for the Eastern Daily Press in Norfolk and spent five years as a sports writer at the MailOnline.
Get to know Kieran Lynch betterPublished17 Dec 2024
A top European side are interested in g Joshua Zirkzee amid reports that his agent is set to hold talks with Manchester United.
Zirkzee has struggled to hit the ground running since his £36.5m move from Bologna in the summer.
The Dutchman has made just one start since Ruben Amorim replaced Erik ten Hag – the man who signed him during the last transfer window.
The 23-year-old did score a brace in their recent 4-0 win over Everton. However, he has been dropped to the bench for the three league games since.
Reports suggest that Zirkzee could be on his way back to playing football in the Serie A as soon as January.
Juventus Want Joshua Zirkzee Amid United Uncertainty
Italian publication Juventus are keen on bringing Joshua Zirkzee back to Serie A next month amid his talks with Manchester United.
It’s claimed his agent Kia Joorabchian will hold a meeting with United to understand their plans ahead of next month.
The report claims he will leave Old Trafford if they sign a striker to improve their goalscoring fortune.
One person who knows Zirkzee well is Juventus boss Thiago Motta.
Motta got the best out of Zirkzee during their time together at Bologna.
Zirkzee scored 12 goals in 37 appearances for Bologna last season. Motta oversaw Bologna’s qualification for the Champions League last season before becoming Juventus manager in June.
Ruben Amorim’s Concern Over Joshua Zirkzee
Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim has previously expressed concern over Joshua Zirkzee.
After United’s 1-1 draw with Ipswich last month, he said: “I think that [decision-making] is a concern, you don’t need to coach them at this level.
“You have to keep the ball and know the momentum to put the ball in front. Sometimes you feel that you can’t keep the ball and you [have to] put the ball in front.
“Then you have like we are in the end of the game, we were around the box with two strikers. Josh [Zirkzee] has to understand that he has to go to the box to have the crosses.”
Zirkzee responded well with the brace against Everton but his chances in the starting XI appear to be limited.