Agent rates £105k-a-week Utd man’s chances of leaving in winter amid ‘difficulties’; two clubs are interested

Stretty News

·12 de dezembro de 2024

Agent rates £105k-a-week Utd man’s chances of leaving in winter amid ‘difficulties’; two clubs are interested

After enduring a tumultuous start to life at Manchester United, Joshua Zirkzee has been linked with a mid-season move away to revive his form.

Indeed, the forward has found himself at the centre of widespread transfer speculation in recent weeks amid reports that both Juventus and Napoli would be keen on bringing him back to Italy, the former of which would see him reunite with ex-Bologna coach Thiago Motta, under whom he scored 14 goals in 57 appearances.

Vídeos OneFootball

As for Napoli’s rumoured interest, Antonio Conte is said to be scouring the market for some winter reinforcements as his side sit second-placed in Serie A and two points behind leaders Atalanta. Thrilled with Scott McTominay’s seamless transition to the Italian top flight, the manager was analysing who else he could acquire from the Red Devils’ squad.

Ruben Amorim has utilised Zirkzee sparingly since taking the reins

(Photo by Eddie Keogh/Getty Images)

Zirkzee, 23, has notched three goals in 21 appearances across all competitions thus far. He first opened his account on his debut back in August but was then held to a four-month wait before he added to his tally with a brace against Everton on December 1.

The Dutch international has had to grow accustomed to his sporadic game time, with Ruben Amorim proving in his opening five games that he won’t shy away from heavy rotation when he sees fit. Zirkzee has featured for a total of 157 minutes under the new head coach thus far, making only one start and being an unused substitute for the side’s last Europa League outing.

However, he won’t be going anywhere when the window opens next month. Respected football agent Vincenzo Morabito has addressed the murmurs regarding Zirkzee’s future by confirming that he’ll be staying put at Old Trafford for the foreseeable future.

“I can exclude a transfer of Zirkzee to Napoli in January. Players at this level hardly move when the league is underway,” Morabito told Radio Marte, as cited by the Metro.

“He has just arrived at United, and his difficulties in tactical adaptation are normal at this stage. In Italian football, when a player isn’t used to certain game systems, it is normal that he may encounter some initial difficulties.

As for Zirkzee, Manchester United have no intention of selling him, not even on loan. They would still have to replace him, and this would involve a further investment to replace him in the squad.”