Zirkzee makes decision on Man Utd future after Newcastle nightmare

Tom Weber

• 1 Jan 2025 07:00 CST
• 3 min read

Joshua Zirkzee is determined to fight for his place at Manchester United despite his gut-wrenching humiliation against Newcastle on Monday.

Man Utd hosted the Magpies at Old Trafford and put in a horrendous performance, going down 2-0 in the space of 19 minutes and actually being fortunate to only concede twice.

Zirkzee, starting behind No.9 Rasmus Hojlund, was hauled off by head coach Ruben Amorim after just 33 minutes as Old Trafford erupted into a deafening torrent of boos and jeers. Unsurprisingly, the Dutchman headed straight down the tunnel and was, according to some reports, reduced to tears.

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"Josh is a really good lad," Amorim said after the match. "We will support him and keep going. It was really tough for me to do that, but I've spoken to Josh as it was important to express the message. We needed Josh to go out, for the team.

"The player is suffering and I was there myself a few years ago. I felt he and the team were suffering during the game and we needed another midfielder. It was tough on me to do that and I've talked with Josh about that because it's important to relay the message."

Zirkzee wants to stay

It was the new low point of a nightmare six months that the 23-year-old has endured since joining Man Utd from Bologna and it is easy to think that his career with the Red Devils is already over.

For months now, Zirkzee has been linked with a swift departure from England and a return to Italy. Juventus and, more recently, Napoli are said to have positioned themselves to pounce on his potential availability.

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However, according to the Daily Mail, Zirkzee is not yet ready to quit. The Netherlands international wants to fight for his place and is determined to stay at Man Utd beyond the January transfer window.

That said, there may be questions about whether the feeling is mutual. Man Utd under INEOS have made ruthless and controversial decisions aplenty already. With the club desperate to raise funds this month, Zirkzee could be sacrificed.