The form of Manchester United’s strikers, who have scored only three goals between them, is a huge concern with INEOS hoping Ruben Amorim can work his magic on the duo like he did with Viktor Gyokeres in Lisbon.
Despite his poor recent form, there is still hope for Rasmus Hojlund, who had emerged as the club’s top scorer last season and has shown glimpses of his undeniable talent. He also seems to fit with what the Portuguese wants.
Summer signing Joshua Zirkzee has been a major disappointment with plenty of reports detailing how former boss Erik ten Hag did not endorse his signing.
And now, Amorim has also taken a dim view of his abilities and as per CaughtOffside, he is trying to offload the Netherlands international as soon as the transfer window opens.
Zirkzee’s future
Despite only netting once this season, the 23-year-old is still attracting plenty of interest with Juventus in the lead, owing to the Thiago Motta connection.
Apart from the Turin-based outfit, AC Milan, who were eyeing Zirkzee in the summer, are once again interested, as are their cross-town rivals Inter. Napoli have also entered the race.
Surprisingly, the former Bayern Munich starlet also has interest from within the Premier League with Aston Villa prepared to throw their hat into the ring. Another surprise addition is Amorim’s former club, Sporting Lisbon.
“According to well-placed CaughtOffside sources, 23-year-old Dutch striker, Joshua Zirkzee, is attracting a lot of interest in the transfer market due to his current situation at the club.
“Juventus are understood to be one of the favourites to take the Dutchman to Turin, given his previous relationship at Bologna with Thiago Motta, now the manager for the Bianconeri of course.
“He would be an alternative in their attack, though Napoli are another Italian top-flight side to at least have him on their transfer list to evaluate his skillset.
“CaughtOffside sources have also indicated that both Milan clubs are keen on the player, with Amorim’s former club, Sporting, thought to be interested in making a move when the time is right.
Surprise teams in the race
“In the unlikely event that Zirkzee wants to continue his footballing education in the Premier League, Aston Villa have thrown their hat into the ring.”
Zirkzee’s biggest issue is that he is not an out-and-out No 9 and while he can play in multiple positions, at this point what United need most is a ruthless finisher.
The Red Devils were open to keeping the Dutch star for more time to allow him to try and adapt but the forward is struggling and wants out.
Given his age and relatively low cost, the 20-time English league champions are unlikely to take a hit on their initial investment with the player’s market value currently standing at €50 million according to Transfermarkt.
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
