Up to 13 clubs across Europe have joined the race for Manchester United’s Joshua Zirkzee after it was reported he is no longer part of Rúben Amorim’s plans.
According to various reports, Joshua Zirkzee is set to hand in a transfer request. With the World Cup being just a few months away, the time to impress the Netherlands manager, Ronald Koeman, is running out; therefore, this scenario has always been a probable outcome for the attacker.
It has been noted in the media that West Ham, who have struggled dramatically this season, especially in the goals department, are the current favourites for his signature.
Their star man, Jarod Bowen, has to fill in out of position up front as Fullkrug remains injured, and Callum Wilson has been an unused sub in their last three matches.
Paired with back-to-back defeats without a goal, the Hammers are crying out for another option if they want to avoid relegation, preferably an option with Premier League experience.
Zirkzee has failed to rack up 90 minutes in total so far this season for Manchester United, with only 82 minutes, 60 of which came in the Burnley game due to Cunha picking up an injury early on. In his brief cameos, he has not really done much to impress his boss.
With the new boys Benjam Šeško, Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo starting to find form and Mount clearly being a player that the manager rates highly, it does seem very difficult for Zirkzee to find game time.
Opportunities to play cup games are also limiting Zirkzee’s game time, no European football, no Carabao Cup and the FA Cup third round starting in the middle of January indicates that he finds himself in a stick or twist situation. Fight for his place or guarantee himself minutes by moving elsewhere.
How concrete are the links and are West Ham alone in the pursuit?
According to reports from transfer journalist Ben Jacobs, the club and player have not yet held any talks about the attacker’s future, but the player would be intrigued by a loan offer from the club if it came to his attention.
The Daily Express has stated that a transfer request from the player is imminent, and, as widely believed, the Hammers are in pole position to be his next destination.
Joshua Zirkzee only has seven goals in all competitions during his time so far at Manchester United which could be something that makes West Ham look elsewhere before settling on a pursuit for the Dutchman’s signature.
West Ham are not alone when it comes to having their eyes on Zirkzee. According to reports from Gol Digital, the list of potential suitors spans 13 different clubs.
Up to six clubs, including Inter and Juventus, are offering him the chance to return to Italy, while five clubs, including Everton and Aston Villa, are giving him the opportunity to stay in England.
An interesting view on Zirkzee’s potential future is his antics on the pitch at Anfield on Sunday after the historic 2-1 victory for United, the Dutchman found himself amidst the celebrations full of excitement and with a massive smile on his face potentially suggesting that he is happy at Man United.
Usually, players wanting out of a club would avoid the limelight; however, Joshua Zirkzee was all over our screens, celebrating with his teammates and revelling in their triumph.
Stay in England or retreat back to Italy?
A key factor in Zirkzee’s potential move is that he is guaranteed game time to improve, which is why some interested clubs are not the best suited for him this January.
Everton would be a good fit, as they are a free-flowing, attacking team that is also growing impatient with their current first-choice striker, Beto, and doubtful of his back-up, Thierno Barry, as neither has scored this season. Expectation would not be too high for Zirkzee, and minutes would be frequent.
However, a team such as Aston Villa may not be a good fit for him as they already have England International Ollie Watkins up front, and whilst he has only scored once this season and been out of form for his standards, we have seen him many times before overcome goal droughts and re-establish his form.
With Watkins also fighting for a place in the England World Cup squad, Zirkzee may struggle playing at Aston Villa.
A move to Italy, although he may benefit from familiarity with the league, could stunt his growth as a player, as he still needs to learn to adapt to the Premier League, widely regarded as much more challenging than Serie A.
Furthermore, a move to either Juventus or Inter would not benefit him, as Inter already has Lautaro Martinez and Marcus Thuram for the striker spot. They do not play in a formation with a traditional No. 10. Juventus is the same, already having Vlahovic, Jonathan David, and Lois Openda as strikers, and also does not use a No. 10.
Therefore, Zirkzee’s best choice should be to stay in England for six months and go to a club like West Ham who are in need of a striker and can guarantee him consistent game time.
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