Ruben Amorim confused over £43m Man Utd star but insider reveals he’s ready ‘to prove a point’

Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim does not know the role for Joshua Zirkzee in his team, sources have told TEAMtalk, but the Red Devils may not be overly keen on offloading the Netherlands international forward in the January transfer window.

Zirkzee has failed to make a huge impact at Man Utd since his £43million (€49.5m, $57.7m) move from Bologna in the summer of 2024. The Netherlands international forward has scored seven goals and given three assists in 54 appearances for Man Utd so far in his career.

The 24-year-old has previously publicly revealed that he is not a natural number nine, telling The Mirror in August 2024: “I occasionally drop down to midfield. I don’t do that for myself but to help the team. I am what I call a false striker. Not a No 9, not a No 10. I am a 9.5! That’s my game. Maybe I’m a little different than others. But being different is good, right?”

The problem for Zirkzee is that there is no space for him in Man Utd manager Amorim’s 3-4-2-1 formation. While Benjamin Sesko is on the sidelines at the moment with a knee injury, Matheus Cunha could be deployed as the number nine, like he was against Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League match before the international break.

TEAMtalk’s transfer insider, Dean Jones, has revealed that Zirkzee does hope to get some playing time for Man Utd in their Premier League game against Everton at Old Trafford next week.

Although Amorim does not have any long-term plans for the 24-year-old, the forward is ready to make the most of the chances that he will get.

TEAMtalk also understands that Man Utd will be open to a loan deal for Zirkzee only if AS Roma – or any other club, for that matter – are willing to agree to an option or an obligation to make it permanent next summer.

Jones told TEAMtalk: “If Roma truly show a willingness to take Zirkzee on a permanent deal, then that is pretty much the only way you start to get Man Utd interested in letting him out.

“I can see them letting him out on loan if it is with the chance of Roma then signing him. A dry loan is more pointless. They may as well keep him.

“But he is obviously well proven in Italy, so that is his most likely next destination, and I can believe Man Utd start to listen to offers that show a willingness to sign him at the end of a loan deal.

“Ideally, they will want it to be an obligation rather than an option, but we shall see how open they become as Roma now open conversations about it.

“Interestingly, Zirkzee should get a chance this weekend. I am told he is expecting to get minutes in the game against Everton – we will just have to see how many.

“But overall, it still seems unlikely he could turn his future around at Man Utd fully, because Amorim just does not have a plan to use him regularly. He doesn’t really know what position to play him in.

“I think Zirkzee has acted very professionally so far, and even right now, he will focus on doing well for Man Utd and would love to prove a point by getting among the goals when he gets the chance.

“But his future lies away from Old Trafford, so it’ll be interesting to see if that can open up sooner rather than later.”

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Man Utd transfer ‘the wrong decision’ for Joshua Zirkzee

Meanwhile, Netherlands legend Ruud Gullit has claimed that it is Zirkzee’s fault that he is struggling at Man Utd.

The former Chelsea star believes that Zirkzee should have joined AC Milan instead of Man Utd when he left Bologna in 2024.

The AC Milan legend told Metro on November 5: “I think from my point of view that he should have stayed in Italy, because he was really striving.

“He was really doing well at Bologna, and I was hoping that he would go to Milan. I think that as soon as he went to Manchester United, it was the wrong decision.

“I mean, for a lot of players, moving to Manchester United has been the wrong decision. And whoever leaves them plays well everywhere around Europe. I just hope that there’s a solution for him.

“Go back to Italy on loan if you can. Just play football. He’s a good player. But at the moment, it’s difficult at Manchester United.

“They found a little form in the past couple of weeks, and I hope for Manchester United that they continue that.

“Because a good Manchester United is good for the Premier League as well.”

Latest Man Utd transfer news: ‘Dream’ signing, striker January deal

Meanwhile, transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has revealed the ‘dream’ midfield signing for Man Utd, with sources telling TEAMtalk that he wants to make the move to Old Trafford.

TEAMtalk’s transfer insider, Dean Jones, has reported how Man Utd feel about signing a new striker in the January transfer window.

And finally, a Greece international midfielder has won the Golden Boy Web award amid interest from Man Utd.