Manchester United star Joshua Zirkzee may leave the club this January in search of more game time, with the club revealing the striker’s price after AS Roma’s latest bid.
Manchester United bolstered Rúben Amorim’s squad over the summer with a series of significant first-team signings.
Entering the transfer window, the club had a clear priority: addressing their struggles in front of goal. After managing just 44 Premier League goals last season, United invested £214 million in a major revamp of their attacking department.
Benjamin Šeško, Bryan Mbeumo, and Matheus Cunha arrived to spearhead a revamped frontline, while Marcus Rashford, Alejandro Garnacho, and Jadon Sancho all exited Old Trafford.
After 17 Premier League games, United find themselves in joint second for goals scored, having netted 31 times so far this season.
One of the few forwards to stay at the club over the summer was Joshua Zirkzee, who impressed towards the end of last season before an injury sidelined him for the rest of the 2024/25 campaign, as well as missing out on any pre-season action. The Netherlands international has only been able to pick up 364 minutes this season, now playing second fiddle to Šeško.
Roma close to meeting Man Utd’s valuation
Despite previous reports that Zirkzee would prefer to stay at United and fight for his place in the squad, the 24-year-old has attracted the attention of a number of clubs, most notably AS Roma.
As reported by Sport Witness, Roma have offered a deal worth around £35 million in total. The deal consists of a loan deal worth around £4.5 million, with an option to buy of around £26 million, with a bonus of £4.5 million if the Rome side qualify for the Champions League.
This offer is reportedly close to United’s reported demands of £43.7 million, with Roma now wanting to reach a compromise on these terms.
The Reds don’t want to incur a significant loss on the £52 million they paid for Zirkzee in 2024, so they remain firm on their demands. Despite all this, optimism about Roma’s move for the striker is rising.
Move benefits Zirkzee but Man Utd reluctant to let him leave
Zirkzee will be aiming to play at the 2026 World Cup with the Netherlands, so he will be desperate to play more consistently and prove to Ronald Koeman that he can lead the line in the USA next summer.
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Joshua Zirkzee’s spell at Manchester United has been far from straightforward. He arrived at Old Trafford under Erik ten Hag, only for the Dutchman to be replaced by Rúben Amorim a few months later.
During his time at the club, Zirkzee has struggled to secure a consistent run in the starting lineup. Just as he began to build momentum during a rare stretch of starts, an unfortunate injury halted his progress, ruling him out for the remainder of the season and the entire pre-season.
The outlet also reported that United would only let Zirkzee depart towards the end of January. Bryan Mbeumo and Amad would have both returned from AFCON by then, and could make it easier for the club to decide on the Dutchman’s future.
Given how busy the Christmas period is, the striker still has a key role to play going into the second half of the season.
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