Zirkzee to QUIT Man Utd in January: Why Juventus move makes sense

Carlo Garganese

• Updated: 22 Oct 2024 07:48 BST
• 3 min read

Joshua Zirkzee is looking increasingly likely to leave Manchester United in January.

Zirkzee only joined the Red Devils this past summer in a €42.5 million move from Bologna.

The striker scored on his Premier League debut against Fulham but he has struggled badly since then and failed to score another goal.

Having fallen down the pecking order at Old Trafford and with Erik ten Hag and the club’s fans already seemingly giving up on him, it has been widely reported that Zirkzee will already leave the club in January.

An outright sale is deemed unlikely, but Italian transfer journalist Daniele Longo - amongst others - expect him to be loaned out until the end of the season.

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Juventus have immediately been linked with moving for Zirkzee during the winter transfer window, and a loan to Turin makes sense for multiple reasons.

For starters, Juventus plan to sign another striker in January already. With Arek Milik permanently injured, Dusan Vlahovic is the only number nine Juve have in their squad.

Vlahovic has also been incredibly inconsistent, and Juventus want another striker to not only provide competition but to allow the Serbian to have some rest.

With Juventus not possessing the cash to make a big financial signing, a loan opportunity like Zirkzee is ideal.

Zirkzee back together with Motta?

Secondly, Juventus’ coach is Thiago Motta, who was Zirkzee’s coach at Bologna last season.

It was Motta who made Zirkzee into a star as the Dutchman exploded in Serie A under his tutelage last term.

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The 23-year-old was one of the standout players in Serie A in 2023-24, and he was often compared to former Milan and Barcelona star Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Together, Motta and Zirkzee led Bologna to a shock qualification into this season’s Champions League.

Zirkzee delivered 12 goals and seven assists in all competitions as Bologna finished fifth in Serie A.

He was the key man for a Bologna team who performed well above their weight under Motta.

Zirkzee would jump at the chance of working again under Motta, safe in the knowledge that the coach knows how to get the best out of him.

Equally, Motta would love to have a striker like Zirkzee who is comfortable at dropping deep to hold up the ball and bring others into play - something Vlahovic struggles with.

It is a loan move that makes sense for both Zirkzee and Juventus. It also makes sense for Man Utd, as Zirkzee has the chance to boost his value that has plummeted in England.