Joshua Zirkzee is reportedly not interested in leaving Manchester United during the January transfer window.
The 23-year-old was signed for £36.5million by former manager Erik ten Hag in the summer. Zirkzee had an impressive season at Bologna, where his 11 goals and five assists helped the Italian side to Champions League qualification.
United spent big in the summer as Ten Hag tried to revamp a side that managed to win the FA Cup but finished eighth in the Premier League. Far from immediate success, the Dutchman was sacked in October and his successor Ruben Amorim has also struggled to transform United's problems.
Unfortunately for Zirkzee, a particular low point of the campaign came when he was stared off as a first-half substitute in the defeat to Newcastle last week. However, it appears the Netherlands international is prepared to fight to prove his doubters wrong despite the interest during the January transfer window.
Sky Sports have reported that Zirkzee is not interested in leaving United in the current transfer window. He is said to be keen to succeed and prove his worth at Old Trafford as he has already developed an affection for the club, which speaks to his determined nature.
Zirkzee has scored four goals in 28 appearances for United this season but has been linked with a host of potential suitors. It is claimed that several Premier League clubs have contacted the player's representatives about a possible move, as well as attracting interest from Serie A giants Juventus, Napoli, Inter Milan and AC Milan.
It was reported on Tuesday that Juventus had proposed a swap deal for Zirkzee, which would see striker Dusan Vlahovic move to Old Trafford. However, according to Sky, the 23-year-old will reject all approaches and remain at United.
It appears Zirkzee, who came on as a late substitute against Liverpool last weekend, is willing to put the Newcastle incident behind him and focus on becoming a regular in Amorim's new squad. This was echoed by the United boss, who, while not ruling out a move, insisted the striker was part of his plans.
“I want to keep Josh because he gives everything and he tries in training, but we don't know,” Amorim said. “The window is open and we'll see what happens.”
“We just have to concentrate on training and take this into the other games. It's just one point, so let's focus on performance for the next games.” Zirkzee hopes to return to United's starting line-up for their FA Cup tie against Arsenal on Sunday.
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