Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim has reportedly ‘officially rejected’ summer signing Joshua Zirkzee, who has struggled since joining the Red Devils.
Zirkzee was Man Utd’s first summer signing as they activated his release clause, beating AC Milan in the race to sign for the forward from Bologna for around £34m.
The Netherlands scored on his Premier League debut as Man Utd beat Fulham 1-0, but he’s not kicked on following this perfect start.
The 23-year-old only has four goals in his 27 appearances in all competitions and he’s rightly been heavily criticised for his poor performances.
Zirkzee’s season hit a new low on Monday night as he was hooked after just 33 minutes as Man Utd were deservedly beaten 2-0 against Newcastle United. This result leaves Amorim’s side only seven points clear of the relegation zone.
READ: Amorim must stop copying ‘shamelessly negligent’ relegated manager and be more like O’Neill
Zirkzee has been heavily linked with a speedy exit from Man Utd and a report in Italy claims Amorim has ‘officially rejected’ the forward. It’s also noted that he’s targeting Sporting Lisbon star Viktor Gyokeres, who was the 2024 top scorer in Europe.
‘Manchester United are no longer banking on Zirkzee who will soon end up on the market, coach Amorim has officially rejected him and Juventus could try to take him on loan, for United, the priority is Gyokeres of Sporting who Amorim knows very well.’
A report from The Daily Mail claims Zirkzee is ‘wanted’ by two Serie A clubs as Juventus and Napoli are monitoring his situation.
However, it is indicated that he intends to ‘fight for his future’ at Man Utd.
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The report reveals:
‘Zirkzee’s stock remains high in Italy, with Juventus and Napoli revisiting their interest in the striker amid hope from the Serie A sides that there may be an opportunity to sign the forward due to uncertainty over his position in Ruben Amorim’s plans.
‘Both clubs were keen on Zirkzee, who has scored four goals this season, in the summer but were beaten to his signing by United.
‘And Mail Sport has learned that both clubs are manoeuvring themselves into a position to strike for Zirkzee should it emerge he can leave.
‘Zirkzee is believed to be aware of the interest but is fully focused on his season with United and has no desire to leave as he concentrates on playing a role in moving the team up the table.’
After Amorim’s early substitution of Zirkzee, the head coach admitted the attacker is “suffering”.
“Josh is a really good lad. We will support him and keep going. It was really tough for me to do that, but I’ve spoken to Josh as it was important to express the message. We needed Josh to go out, for the team,” Amorim said.
“The player is suffering and I was there myself a few years ago. I felt he and the team were suffering during the game and we needed another midfielder. It was tough on me to do that and I’ve talked with Josh about that because it’s important to relay the message.”
