Zidane Iqbal appears to have confirmed his departure from Manchester United after an exchange with a fan on social media.
The talented young midfielder thanked a fan page that wished him good luck with his next move, all but announcing his Old Trafford exit, albeit before the club announce it themselves. His comment comes shortly after reports emerged claiming that United had accepted an offer from FC Utrecht for a relatively meagre fee of £1million.
Iqbal's medical with the Dutch outfit is thought to have already taken place and in turn, his 11 years on the books of the Red Devils comes to an end. In that time, the youngster made history by becoming the first British South Asian to represent Manchester United.
However, things weren't always as positive, Iqbal was also once the subject of a foul-mouthed outburst from manager Erik ten Hag after the Dutchman singled him out during a training session. The United boss was filmed screaming: "Keep the ball on the floor... Zidane! Hey! Keep the ball! F***ing rubbish!"
The writing seemed on the wall for the 20-year-old last season when Iqbal wasn't given a single minute of senior competitive football across the entire campaign, despite the Red Devils progressing to the latter stages of all cup competitions.
Iqbal had made it clear to those at the top of the United hierarchy he wanted to go out on loan during the January transfer window but was forced to stay put.
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Now, however, it would seem that the time for a new challenge has finally come. Iqbal is on the verge of putting pen to paper on a four-year deal and while United have inserted a sell-on clause into the deal, there is no buyback option.
Many fans expected Iqbal to get the loan spell he craves but instead his Old Trafford stay looks to have been brought to a permanent end.
Iqbal replied "Thank you," with a love heart emoji to the post that said it 'hurts' to see him leave the club, but the player is still yet to upload a farewell message on to his own page just yet.
Though he didn't make as many appearances as he'd have hoped in a United shirt, Iqbal was a popular figure among the Red Devils fanbase.
After three outings for the Iraq national team, particularly one stellar showing against Russia, many United fans flooded the club's social media channels pleading for Iqbal to get more of a chance in the first-team fold.
Instead, his next taste of competitive football is likely to come from an entirely new club.
