Joshua Zirkzee is ready to leave Manchester United in the January transfer window in hopes of securing his spot at the 2026 World Cup.
As things stand, the forward would have no chance of being called up to Ronald Koeman’s squad, having not featured for the team since last November.
Zirkzee has earned six caps for his country, making his debut under Koeman at Euro 2024 in the quarter-finals. He featured more prominently in the subsequent Nations League tournament, where he was granted his first-ever start against Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Joshua Zirkzee: The state of play
Players would’ve been well aware heading into the 2025/2026 campaign that they have to be at the absolute top of their games if they are to have any chances of playing in the United States next summer. Yet, they can only do so if they’re actually being awarded the chances to prove themselves.
That hasn’t been the case for Zirkzee thus far, and it doesn’t really look like the situation will change before the New Year.
The 24-year-old has yet to start a Premier League match, whilst he wasn’t even given the nod in United’s only Carabao Cup match of the term when they were knocked out by League Two outfit Grimsby Town in August.
Zirkzee has accumulated just 74 minutes of top-flight action in the opening seven matches, spending four of those games watching on from the bench as an unused substitute.
Zirkzee will push for mid-season United exit
United’s acquisition of Benjamin Sesko, along with Amorim’s preference to utilise Matheus Cunha or Bryan Mbeumo further afield in the striker’s absence, has led to Zirkzee falling considerably in the pecking order.
Given that United will only be playing once a week, the chances of him nailing down a role in the squad are far too slim for his liking.
Alas, the former Bayern Munich man now wants out of Old Trafford when the window opens.
“Joshua Zirkzee is prepared to leave Manchester United in January even though Ruben Amorim wants him to stay,” said Ben Jacobs on Wednesday evening (via GiveMeSport).
“Zirkzee is starting to get worried about his World Cup chances; game time is limited, Benjamin Sesko has arrived, Matheus Cunha can also play as a nine, and so Zirkzee, like Kobbie Mainoo, could now ask for a loan move to get minutes with the World Cup in mind.
“For January, keep an eye on PSV, because I’m told that they’re open to a loan deal. Napoli were interested – past tense because they’ve now added Rasmus Hojlund – so it’s very unlikely, if not impossible, that they’ll return.
“Manchester United are reluctant to sanction an exit, and, if it were to be a permanent sale, it wouldn’t be entertained whether [that’s in] January or the summer unless Manchester United could do better than a book loss, and they paid £43 million for him. I think it’s going to be difficult for Zirkzee to get a move away.”
