Joshua Zirkzee is more likely to stay at Manchester United this month as interested club Roma move towards signing an alternative to the Dutch forward, a report has revealed.
Zirkzee had been heavily linked with Roma, which would represent a return to Serie A following a breakout spell at Bologna prior to his £36.5 million ($49 million) switch to Old Trafford in 2024.
The 24-year-old struggled for game time in the first half of the season and has long been tipped to take his career elsewhere in order to find the consistent game time required to get back into the Netherlands squad before the 2026 World Cup this coming summer.
Roma director Ricky Massara was no longer confident Zirkzee would move because of the changing circumstances at Old Trafford. There had been no talks “in progress, ” whereas the Giallorossi conversely have been in touch with Atlético Madrid about Italy forward Giacomo Raspadori.
“[Zirkzee] is a Manchester United centre forward liked by many clubs, not just us,” Massara told Sky Sport Italia earlier this week. “Naturally, the situation is different after this change of management, there are no contacts in progress, but I wouldn’t focus on individual names.”
He added: “It’s true there are negotiations in progress with both Atlético Madrid and Raspadori.”
Since Massara spoke, Sky Sport Italia have reported that Roma have quickly reached an agreement with Atlético to sign Raspadori on loan with an option to buy. The player himself must accept the proposed move, but it is stressed that any pursuit of Zirkzee will end if he does.
Joshua Zirkzee’s Recent Man Utd Resurgence
After barely featuring at all in the first three months of the season, Zirkzee has been used much more by United since the November international break. That included being called upon by Darren Fletcher in the first game after Amorim’s sudden departure.
He’s still typically waiting for chances off the bench but has played some part in each of the last 10 Premier League fixtures, registering direct goal involvements in two of the last three.
Another factor that could make it difficult for Zirkzee to leave imminently is the expectation that no new signings will be made this month.
It was something that Amorim clarified in December and his exit hasn’t changed things in that respect: “It’s going to be hard for someone to leave the club if we don’t get a substitution. We are short. Even with the full squad, we are short for something that can happen.”
United were believed to be keen on Antoine Semenyo because of the opportunity presented by his £65 million release clause. But, once the goalscoring winger chose Manchester City, the Red Devils backed off and decided against throwing cash at an alternative. Instead, funds will be held back for the summer transfer window, when a central midfielder is the priority target.
That strategy came from above Amorim, part of the plan for a more club-led approach, rather than building around the wills of an individual manager.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as ‘The Situation Is Different’—How Ruben Amorim’s Man Utd Exit Impacts Joshua Zirkzee Future.
