Manchester United will not allow Joshua Zirkzee to leave the club in January, according to reports. The young Dutchman arrived at Old Trafford last summer and marked his Premier League debut with a late winner against Fulham. It sparked hope that he would bang in plenty of goals for United, but so far that has not materialised.
Zirkzee has only scored seven times in 53 games for the Red Devils, leading to him falling out of favour. This season, he has played just 74 minutes in the Premier League without scoring or assisting. The summer arrival of Benjamin Sesko bumped Zirkzee down the pecking order and he is said to be frustrated over his lack of playing time.
He knows that he needs to be getting regular minutes to stand any chance of making the Netherlands squad for the World Cup. As a result, the forward is considering his future at United.
Zirkzee is not necessarily agitating for a move but is open to exploring his options, according to i. He is believed to be ‘unhappy’ with his current situation and West Ham are thought to be plotting a loan approach in January.
A number of clubs in Italy have also been keeping tabs on Zirkzee, with Roma said to be among the interested parties.
However, the report adds that United have no interest in letting Zirkzee leave in the middle of the season. Those in power at Old Trafford reportedly share Ruben Amorim’s view that nobody should be allowed to depart in January.
It means that Kobbie Mainoo is also likely to be denied an exit, with the midfielder having expressed a willingness to go out on loan towards the end of the summer window.
United are under no financial pressure to sell any of their players after raising more money than ever before in the summer. While they would currently resist any attempts from other clubs to land Zirkzee, the situation could evolve in the near future.
Some interested clubs believe that United could sanction a loan move in order to aid the striker’s development, especially if he becomes more agitated.
The Red Devils are not playing any European football for the first time in 12 years this season. Zirkzee would ordinarily be given minutes in those games but has seen his opportunities limited given United’s failure to qualify at the end of last season.
The report also claims that if Zirkzee departs in January, young forward Chido Obi could be recalled to the senior squad as a replacement.