- 5 hours ago
Man Utd REJECT Joshua Zirkzee offer
Manchester United will not entertain loan offers for Joshua Zirkzee unless they contain a purchase obligation, according to Italian media.
The Red Devils striker's future appears to be up in the air just six months after joining. Zirkzee's time at Man Utd has been a complete disaster and he was booed off the pitch by his own fans against Newcastle earlier in the week.
This has only increased the transfer speculation that has been swirling for months, with Zirkzee said to have been left distraught by the reaction from the crowd.
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Despite this, it has been claimed that the Dutchman was not yet giving thought to leaving and that he was determined to fight for his place. In Italy, however, it asserted that Zirkzee is ready to return after his successful stint at Bologna.
Whatever the case, the fact of the matter is that Man Utd are looking to raise funds and it is difficult to believe that they would not jump at the opportunity to cash in on Zirkzee if the opportunity presented itself.
Man Utd won't accept a straight loan
The problem with this, of course, is that finding clubs willing to spend big is a difficult task in a January window. Indeed, it seems that Zirkzee's suitors would initially prefer a loan move.
Chief among them are Juventus, coached by the striker's former Bologna boss Thiago Motta. Though signing a striker is not a priority, the Bianconeri would love to sign Zirkzee.
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However, much of Juventus' budget will go towards signing centre-backs, which means that they have little choice but to try to loan Zirkzee. According to Di Marzio, there is little chance of this approach being successful.
Man Utd simply won't accept a straight or 'dry' loan and will insist on either a permanent deal or a loan with an obligation to buy the 23-year-old at the end of the season.