- 18 hours ago
Man Utd in unexpected WIN-WIN situation over transfer misfit
Robin Bairner
- 5 Feb 2025 02:20 CST
- 3 min read
Joshua Zirkzee might have misfired for Manchester United in his first six months at Old Trafford, but the Red Devils have been given some positive news over the Dutch attacker.
Zirkzee hooked up with Man Utd from Bologna for €42.5 million in the summer, with former manager Erik ten Hag having seen enough to splash out a major fee on the 23-year-old.
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STATS
Joshua Zirkzee
F (C)
Man Utd
Joshua Zirkzee
F (C)
Man Utd
Since moving to the Premier League giants, the Dutchman has struggled to find a position in the team. He has lacked the killer instinct to be a serious contender for the No.9 role – he only has four goals in all competitions – while his linkup play has not been strong enough to offer an option deeper.
Consequently, Zirkzee has fallen down the pecking order under new head coach Ruben Amorim and it was even suggested that he could leave in January.
He remains at the club, but even if he fails to get it right before the end of the season, another team are tracking his situation with an eye to a summer move.
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Journalist Paolo Paganini has stated that Juventus want Zirkzee.
“Victor Osimhen and Joshua Zirkzee represent the two top Juventus objectives for the summer,” he declared on X.
There is a kicker for Man Utd, though.
“The deals are linked to Champions League qualification,” he says.
Juventus are currently fifth in Serie A, and having won only nine of 23 games, are by no means guaranteed to make the top European competition next season.
It is unclear whether Zirkzee’s move to Juve also depends on his former Bologna boss Thiago Motta remaining at the club.
The former Italy international finds himself under pressure after just a matter of months as Juve have lacked excitement and flair in their play while results have been mediocre at best.
Man Utd can’t lose
The interest of the Serie A giants should be music to the ears of Man Utd. It puts them in a situation whereby they cannot lose.
If Zirkzee cannot recapture his best form, the chances are they will be able to sell, but if he does start hitting his level, they will have a dangerous weapon for Amorim to use.
His Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) has risen to €48.2m, suggesting that there is a possibility that the Red Devils might even yet make a profit on their transfer misfit.
