Manchester United look set to have a busy January window in a departure from usual and that means multiple sales on the horizon due to their financial situation.
It is an open secret that Man Utd need to sell to buy this January and it just so happens that there are many players in the squad who can be deemed expendable.
Either through their large wages (Casemiro/Eriksen), their unsuitability to the system (Marcus Rashford), or their lack of good performances (Joshua Zirkzee), United can be ruthless this January.
It takes two to tango so United will have to be patient in selling but fortunately, Fabrizio Romano reports that one team’s interest is already getting ‘concrete’ and United can make their first sale of the window soon, with the interested party now ‘pushing’.
Fabrizio Romano on Joshua Zirkzee transfer
Joshua Zirkzee recently reached the nadir of his Man Utd career when he was booed off by fans on his substitution against Newcastle within 30 minutes.
Man Utd fans made amends by warmly welcoming him against Liverpool and he almost got the match-winning assist by passing to Harry Maguire in that game.
Amorim said after the game that he would like keep Zirkzee and the player is doing well in training, but added the asterisk that the window is open and anything can happen.
That is not something a manager says about a player if they absolutely want to keep them and that theory aligns with what Romano has revealed now.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Romano reported that Amorim being aware in Juventus’ interest in Zirkzee forced him to be cautious in his public plea.
He said: “Juventus are really pushing for Joshua Zirkzee. They have a very good relationship with his agent, Kia Joorabchian. They are really interested.
“The manager is Thiago Motta, he did an excellent job together with Zirkzee at Bologna last season. The interest of Juventus is really concrete, contacts with the player already started weeks ago.
“It will really depend on the formula of a deal. United are not accepting a straight loan so Juventus can have an obligation to buy, a permanent transfer. But the idea of Juventus is that Zirkzee is a main target.”
Zirkzee domino can net Man Utd desired striker
Joshua Zirkzee can be the big domino who can give shape to United’s January business if a permanent transfer deal can be reached with Juventus.
United have been linked to Randal Kolo Muani for whom Juventus have been mentioned as an interested party. Zirkzee going to Juventus fixes both issues.
United have also monitored Dusan Vlahovic at Juventus so a deal for Zirkzee can potentially grease the wheels for that move, if applicable.
Ultimately, the Dutch striker looks like he’d be more valuable as a player for Juventus and he’s more valuable as an asset to land a more suited player for Amorim at United.
The player himself would probably relish the opportunity to reunite with the manager who brought out the best in him so it would be ideal for all parties if a deal were to happen.
Expect this to develop over the window and Zirkzee to end January as a Juventus player, with a new striker coming in at Old Trafford, on loan or permanently.
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