Zirkzee makes decision on Old Trafford exit after Carrick’s tactical masterstroke leaves him frozen out – report 

Manchester United forward Joshua Zirkzee has informed INEOS where he wants to play football until the end of the season in a dramatic twist, according to a new report. A Man in Demand Despite Zirkzee’s struggles for the Red Devils, the Dutchman was in high demand this month as clubs across the continent sensed an opportunity to strike a bargain deal. Italian heavyweights Juventus and AS Roma were strongly linked with interest in bringing the 24-year-old back to Serie A – the league in which he first established himself at Bologna. But there was also interest from Turkish side Fenerbahce, while a host of clubs in the Premier League – Crystal Palace, Everton, Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United – were all reported to be suitors. Zirkzee’s preference was believed to be a return to Italy, with Roma coming the closest to striking a deal with Manchester United. However, INEOS were reluctant to sanction his departure while the Africa Cup of Nations was ongoing, as fellow forwards Amad and Bryan Mbeumo were both away at the tournament in Morocco. The dismissal of Ruben Amorim then added another layer of complexity to the situation, as United’s hierarchy were keen to wait until a caretaker manager arrived in the Portuguese coach’s place before reaching a final decision on Zirkzee’s future. Michael Carrick has enjoyed a triumphant start to life in the role – with United’s back-to-back wins over Manchester City and Arsenal further strengthening the Netherlands international’s case to leave, given he was injured for both matches. Now, a new update reveals, Zirkzee has told INEOS exactly where he plans to finish the season, with his host of suitors set to be bitterly disappointed. Going Nowhere The Sun reports the forward has “expressed his wish to stay at United” past Monday’s deadline, despite the likelihood being of dropping even further down the pecking order at Old Trafford.  Under Amorim, Benjamin Sesko was the first-choice option up front, with Zirkzee hardly featuring this season. However, Carrick has found great joy in his first two games by redeploying Mbeumo as a false nine, with the Cameroonian scoring the opening goal in both wins. Matheus Cunha is also another option who can play up front, as he did earlier in the campaign. Carrick was asked about Zirkzee in today’s press conference, cagily stating he was simply “looking forward to working” with the Bayern Munich academy graduate. “I think Josh has just been trying to work to get fit and get back around the group and it’s been great to have him back training yesterday with a group for the first time,” Carrick stated. “That’s literally as far as it goes for me and for Josh. I’m looking forward to working with him. That’s it. Nothing else needs to be said.” Over Christmas, Amorim was struggling to field a half-decent frontline, given the array of absences due to injury or international duty. But as January comes to an end, Carrick almost has too many options to choose from – not that a coach would ever complain about an overabundance of forwards. Featured image Ion Alcoba Beitia 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 Darragh Fox Darragh is an editor for The Peoples Person who spent three years learning about the Cold War at the University of Sheffield slowly realising football was by far the most interesting thing to write about. Amad’s first touch should be officially recognised as the eighth wonder of the world.