Joshua Zirkzee Faces Uncertain Future at Manchester United Amid Roma Interest
Joshua Zirkzee has played a limited role at Old Trafford since his transfer from Bologna. Unfortunately, the £35.3 million move from Italy has not brought success for the 25-year-old, who has spent most of his time on the bench.
In his 25 appearances, Zirkzee managed two goals and one assist, totaling only 629 minutes of play this season. This translates to an average of just over 25 minutes per match.
With the arrival of interim head coach Michael Carrick, the situation for the former Netherlands international has not improved. Carrick has only started Zirkzee once, during the 0-0 draw at Sunderland on 9th May, and has utilized him for just 127 minutes across ten games.
As a result, Zirkzee is now one of five signings made by Erik ten Hag that Manchester United is looking to offload this summer. Italian clubs have been closely watching the situation, hoping to offer Zirkzee a return to the country where he made his name.
According to Gazzetta dello Sport, Roma’s manager, Gian Piero Gasperini, has recently discussed Zirkzee again, reigniting interest that nearly materialized in January before Ruben Amorim’s dismissal halted talks.
The transfer fee under consideration is between £17.3 million and £21.6 million (€20 million and €25 million), which is significantly lower than what United paid Bologna two summers ago. The context of the January negotiations is crucial, as Roma had made a strong push for Zirkzee, who expressed his willingness to join, with Gasperini outlining how he envisioned using him on the field.
However, with Bryan Mbeumo and Amad Diallo unavailable due to the Africa Cup of Nations and Benjamin Sesko dealing with an injury, United decided against parting with Zirkzee to maintain squad depth.
Gasperini’s current strategy includes an “all-orange” front line, featuring Donyell Malen as the central forward and Zirkzee as a left-sided attacking midfielder, where his linking play could enhance Malen’s ability to make runs behind defenses.
Zirkzee’s contract with United extends until 2029, allowing the club to maintain a strong negotiating position despite the player clearly wanting to leave.