Ruben Amorim has refused to rule out the possibility of Joshua Zirkzee leaving Manchester United in January, just six months after joining the club.
The Dutchman was signed from Bologna for £36 million in the summer and scored on his debut in the opening game of the season. Since then, however, Zirkzee has struggled to influence games and has only scored three times.
Questions are already being asked about his future, with Juventus reportedly keen to sign the former Bologna man. They are now managed by Thiago Motta, previously worked effectively with Zirkzee in Serie A and are expected to make a bid this month.
The 23-year-old suffered the embarrassment of being taken off the field after half an hour in the final match of 2024 against Newcastle. His withdrawal was cheered by some of his own fans and left his long-term future in Manchester in doubt.
Amorim has made it clear that he wants to keep Zirkzee, but cannot rule out his departure. “I want to keep Josh because he is giving everything and he is trying in training, but we don't know,” he said.
“The window is open and we'll see what happens. We just have to focus on training and take this into the other games. It's only one point, so let's focus on performance for the next games.”
United needs reinforcement but, because the funds are more expensive, may have to sell before they can buy. Zirkzee is among the players who could receive a decent fee that can be reinvested back into the playing group, with goals still an issue for Manchester United.
Zirkzee came off the bench for the final ten minutes of the draw against Liverpool on Sunday. In the final seconds he was put through on goal and chose to direct the ball towards Harry Maguire, who burst over from close range.
Bruno Fernandes was among those who defended Zirkzee, who found himself in the spotlight after his embarrassing substitution saga.
He said: “Everyone is a bit scared of stepping onto these big stages sometimes, but we have to understand the club we are playing for. We have to understand the demands of playing for this club. But at the same time I really think I get frustrated with what happened to Josh, because I was in the stands and I've never seen anything like that. And it really frustrates me and irritates me because he's a player who always gives his best coming into the team.”
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