After the fantastic come-from-behind victory in the Manchester derby, Ruben Amorim must have thought his Manchester United players had turned the corner.
But inconsistency coupled with a few questionable selection calls have meant the Red Devils have fallen to back-to-back defeats since then, heaping the pressure back on the Portuguese.
This group of players seem ill-equipped to deal with his demands, with both strikers struggling to find the back of the net with any real regularity.
Joshua Zirkzee, signed in the summer, seemed to be finally coming to grips at his new home after an impressive cameo in the Carabao Cup against Tottenham Hotspur.
Zirkzee’s struggles in red
But against Bournemouth, the Netherlands international struggled badly and was hooked early in the second half. He only has four goals thus far, with the 20-time English league champions needing a lot more from their striker.
He has been constantly linked with a return to Italy since his arrival with Juventus, managed by his former Bologna boss Thiago Motta, interested in his services.
Former boss Erik ten Hag was reportedly not his biggest fan and the United No 11 has not looked like an elite goalscorer but more of a link-up player.
However, so far the Old Trafford outfit had been steadfast in their belief that the Dutchman would be given time to adapt to his new home and would not leave in his debut campaign.
Loan exit approved
However, Tuttosport (via Juvefc) have now revealed that United have agreed to let the former Bayern Munich starlet leave on loan during the winter window.
The Turin-based newspaper claimed that United are of the opinion that a decent loan spell could be the best way to preserve and potentially increase his market value after a disappointing first half of the campaign in England.
Playing under Motta, a manager who got the best out of him during his days at Bologna, could be perfect for Zirkzee while Juventus desperately need attacking reinforcements and would be a win-win for both parties.
If Zirkzee leaves and with Marcus Rashford’s future also up in the air, Amorim will need an elite replacement with Victor Osimhen‘s name doing the rounds.
Feature image Matt McNulty via Getty Images
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Ayantan Chowdhury
Ayantan has worked for 10 years in the Indian sports media industry, writing for the biggest newspapers and websites but his heart was always set on writing about his favourite club. Currently an editor at The Peoples Person. You can follow him on X: @ayantanc_25
