Roma surprisingly offer 28-yo star in swap deal to sign €40m United player – report

Manchester United’s decision to sign promising Serie A stars to lead their line in the Premier League has panned out disastrously in recent years. In 2023, United secured the services of Rasmus Hojlund from Atalanta. A year later, the Red Devils added Joshua Zirkzee to their ranks to ease the goalscoring burden on the young Dane. Hojlund struggled to adapt to the Premier League’s physicality and now finds himself back in Serie A, having joined Napoli last summer.  Zirkzee hoping to return to Serie A Zirkzee’s stint in England has proven to be equally underwhelming, with the 24-year-old still waiting for his first start under Ruben Amorim this term. Now, a similar fate as Hojlund appears to be on the cards for him. Recently, The Peoples Person relayed a report claiming Zirkzee would prefer to return to Serie A in January. Joshua Zirkzee Stats: 2024/25 CompetitionMatchesGoalsAssistsYellow CardsRed CardsMinutes Played Premier League32322-1,394′ UEFA Europa League11211-531′ FA Cup31—185′ EFL Cup31—146′ Community Shield—— Total 24/2549733-2,256′ Source: Transfermarkt AS Roma are reported to be among a host of Italian clubs willing to sign the Dutchman. According to journalist Enrico Camelio (via Sport Witness), the Giallorossi’s financial situation heading into the winter transfer window isn’t very strong. As such, they are trying to find a solution to win the race for the United striker. Roma offer Dovbyk It is claimed United have been offered a chance to sign Roma star Artem Dovbyk in a swap deal involving Zirkzee. Roma signed the 28-year-old in 2024 on the back of his prolific stint in Spain with Girona. However, Dovbyk has not managed to find his feet under new Roma head coach Gian Piero Gasperini. Camelio said: “There’s not a lot of money, even for the next transfer window. One name that’s been circulating is Zirkzee. He would be an incredible upgrade. Manchester doesn’t want Dovbyk and so no swap. Let’s wait.” Benjamin Sesko has enjoyed a promising start to life in Manchester. Accordingly, a new striker isn’t on United’s list of priorities. Should things change, Ineos are likely to target a more reliable goalscorer than Dovbyk. Featured image Michael Steele via Getty Images The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social Vishal Singh Vishal has worked in the football media industry for over six years, planning, writing, and editing content for several major outlets, including North Star Network. Vishal has a bachelor’s degree in English Literature from Delhi University. Currently a writer at The Peoples Person, he covers Manchester United — a club he has been religiously following and supporting since 2012. Vishal also manages a leading MUFC fan page, The Red Devils, on Facebook with over a million likes. Big fan of ball-playing centre-backs and Harry Maguire’s knee-slide celebration!