More drama at Man United after late twist in Joshua Zirkzee situation | OneFootball

It’s been quite the campaign for Man United in 2024/25, and not the start to his Old Trafford career that Joshua Zirkzee will have hoped for.

After a decent enough season with Bologna in 2023/24, where he scored 12 goals and assisted seven times in all competitions (transfermarkt), Man United may well have thought that they were buying a proven goalscorer at the top level in Joshua Zirkzee, and one who could fire them towards some silverware.

Joshua Zirkzee courted by Juventus

Just four goals and two assists in 28 games later (transfermarkt), and the Dutchman can already be considered a huge Old Trafford flop.

Although it’s believed that Ruben Amorim would prefer to keep him at the club, Sky Sports are reporting that Juventus want to reunite him with his former Bologna manager, Thiago Motta.

Joshua Zirkzee of Manchester United is substituted during the first half of the Premier League match against Newcastle United. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)

However, in an unexpected turn of events, the player has apparently expressed a preference of staying at United and has no intention of moving anywhere during the January transfer window.

That’s despite news to the contrary.

Dusan Vlahovic has been touted as a makeweight in a swap deal, whilst sources with a clear understanding of Zirkzee’s situation have suggested that he has instructed his representatives to engineer a move back to Serie A as quickly as practicable.

Joshua Zirkzee wants Man United stay

If Sky Sports’ latest report is correct, then the forward has clearly thrown a spanner in the works in terms of what United and Amorim can do in the January transfer window.

It’s abundantly clear that the squad needs to be freshened up, but thanks to the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability rules, as with every other club now, United need to be counting the pennies.

Should Zirkzee end up staying put at Old Trafford, his output needs to improve drastically.