Claudio Marchisio urges Juventus to snub January transfer for Man Utd star who has abundance of real ‘talent’

Add as preferred source on Google

Juventus legend Claudio Marchisio has made his stance clear on the Serie A club being linked with a potential move for Manchester United star Joshua Zirkzee.

Joshua Zirkzee arrived at Old Trafford in the summer after Manchester United signed the Netherlands striker in a deal worth £36.54m from Serie A side Bologna.

The 23-year-old Dutch forward made an instant impact on his United debut after he came off the bench and scored the winner against Fulham at Old Trafford in August.

Following the 1-0 win over Fulham, Zirkzee has struggled to find the back of the net in the final third and the former Bologna man has only scored once for United.

But Zirkzee, who has two assists in 17 appearances for the Red Devils, has been praised for his ability to link up play for United amid his struggling goalscoring form.

The Netherlands international has been linked with a move away from Old Trafford on loan, with Sere A outfit Juventus heavily linked with the Dutchman.

READ MORE: Man Utd legend Paul Scholes argues ‘some players become obsessed’ with achieving one of two things in football

Marchisio on Zirkzee to Juventus transfer link

Speaking to Italian newspaper Tuttosport, Claudio Marchisio praised Joshua Zirkzee and admitted that the Manchester United star previously showed his potential.

Marchisio, who made 389 appearances for the Old Lady, believes that Juventus should stick with the “right path” and not sign Zirkzee in January.

The 38-year-old Italian former midfielder believes that Juventus must “have faith” over striker Dusan Vlahovic, who was signed from Italian side Fiorentina in 2022.

Marchisio is also hopeful that the Italian club will benefit from the return of striker Arkadiusz Milik, who is currently out of action with a knee injury.

“We are talking about a player of great talent and he showed it last year,” he said.

“Then when you talk about a player who did well the previous season with a specific coach, but if the two have taken different paths…

“Many times we try to bring them closer, but that doesn’t mean it’s the right path.

“We need to have faith in a player like Vlahovic, who is still demonstrating his talent.

“And remember that he’s on his own. I repeat: I hope that someone can arrive in January, including Milik’s return to the field.”

READ MORE: Gary Neville and Roy Keane both make same stance over ‘influential’ Man Utd legend, Ian Wright snubbed him

A Zirkzee revival under Ruben Amorim?

Zirkzee struggled to secure regular first-team action under former United manager Erik ten Hag amid competing for a place against Rasmus Hojlund.

However, Erik ten Hag’s sacking last month and the arrival of Ruben Amorim at Old Trafford could spark a second chance for Zirkzee to kickstart his United career.

United triggered the £9.25m release clause in Ruben Amorim’s Sporting CP contract and brought the 39-year-old Portuguese to Old Trafford earlier this week.

Amorim, who has been widely praised for his work at Sporting CP, inked a contract with United until June 2027 and took up his post at the start of the November break.