Joshua Zirkzee handed fresh blow in Netherlands set-back after Manchester United woes

Joshua Zirkzee has been handed a fresh setback with the Netherlands after his recent woes following his £36 million move to Manchester United.

Joshua Zirkzee‘s time at Manchester United has been far from ideal since joining from Serie A side Bologna for £36 million in the summer.

Signed to provide competition for Rasmus Højlund under the former regime of Erik ten Hag, Zirkzee made an immediate impact with a debut goal against Fulham. However, the Dutch striker’s form has since faded, and he has struggled to find the back of the net again.

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Zirkzee’s preference for dropping deep to get involved in the build-up rather than staying on the shoulders of defenders offers a different tactical option for United. Yet, this approach hasn’t translated into consistent results.

With just one goal and two assists in 17 appearances, speculation is mounting that Zirkzee could be on his way out in January, as several clubs are reportedly monitoring his situation.

Zirkzee’s fresh blow

Although Zirkzee was still called up to the Netherlands’ 25-man squad for their upcoming internationals against Hungary and Bosnia & Herzegovina, he has been handed a fresh blow by manager Ronald Koeman.

As the Dutch side prepares to face Hungary in a Nations League clash against Amsterdam this evening, Zirkzee has not been selected for the 23-player squad to face the European counterparts.

Koeman announced on Friday that two players from the selected Netherlands squad would not make the cut but stopped short of naming them.

This comes after Zirkzee has failed to impress at United so far, although former coach Ruud van Nistelrooy only had priase for the 23-year-old when asked about him earlier this month.

“Josh is more of a player who is coming toward the ball and gets the team playing. In the Crystal Palace game, I thought he was excellent and showed one of his best performances,” former interim manager Van Nistelrooy said.

“Another one with a lot of talent, he’s a good age and has a lot of potential to develop. We have to look after him, give him time because he will get better and will be a very good player.”

Zirkzee is expected to be given a fresh shot at impressing under new boss Rúben Amorim, although there have been rumours that United may use him as a makeweight in a deal to sign Victor Osimhen from Napoli this summer.

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