Zirkzee changes his mind, willing to move to Serie A! Manchester United sees a chance to clear out, possibly due to Rashford's return

Italian transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano disclosed that Manchester United forward Joshua Zirkzee is now for the first time contemplating a departure from the club to rejoin Serie A. Earlier, the 25-year-old Dutch center-forward had been adamant about remaining at Old Trafford to compete for a bench role. Following United's return to the Champions League, Zirkzee's earnings have risen as well. His contract still runs for three years, with a base salary of £105,000 per week and an additional £26,000 in variable bonuses.

Zirkzee joined Manchester United from Bologna in 2024 for a transfer fee of €42.5 million (£36 million), but his goal-scoring ability has been far from impressive. He has only made 75 appearances for the club, mostly as a substitute, scoring 9 goals and providing 4 assists. Additionally, Zirkzee's playing pace is slow, and despite his decent technique, he is considered unsuitable for the Premier League style.

Although Zirkzee is favored by some Manchester United fans and is quite popular among teammates, being the "mood maker" and a popular figure, sources have revealed that many in the club's management do not think highly of him and hope to offload him to bring in a substitute striker.

In the first two warm-up matches, due to Sesko's calf injury, Zirkzee became the starting No. 9. However, in the last match against a stronger Atletico Madrid, Carrick chose a false-nine formation, sending Zirkzee back to the bench. This means that in the new season, Sesko is the first-choice center-forward, Mbeumo or Cunha playing as a false nine is Plan B, and Zirkzee is at most the third choice, or even lower.

Last season, Zirkzee started only 5 times. Although there is the Champions League this season, Zirkzee and his agent Kia Joorabchian have to consider one thing: Rashford will return next week, which could lead to even more limited playing time for him.

Facing reality, Zirkzee might agree to accept an offer from a Serie A club. Romano said: "Unlike before, Zirkzee is truly considering leaving for the first time. He would be happy to return to Italy; he enjoyed playing there and understands Serie A."

Juventus is the most interested club in signing Zirkzee. Although they have signed French striker Kolo Muani, they intend to send away Canadian striker Jonathan David to make room for Manchester United's No. 11.

Manchester United, of course, wants to sell Zirkzee permanently and be done with it. Unfortunately, the inquiries they have received so far are only about loaning the Dutch striker, with no one willing to buy. Therefore, United has to settle for the next best option: they are willing to approve a loan for Zirkzee as long as the loan agreement includes a mandatory buyout clause rather than an option.

Juventus' Chief Football Officer Massara is handling this deal, maintaining close contact with all parties. When this executive worked at Roma, he had wanted to sign Zirkzee, but unfortunately couldn't afford the price Manchester United offered, so he couldn't fulfill his wish.

Serie A transfer journalist Matteo Moretto said: "As things stand, Juventus has shown strong interest in Zirkzee, and the two sides are in contact or negotiations. The possibility of Zirkzee joining Juventus is very high, and discussions are ongoing. Currently, Juventus has not yet reached an agreement on the transaction structure, or more precisely, a consensus has not been reached. Zirkzee has already said YES to Juventus, he is willing to transfer, but the key is the transaction structure, and both sides still need to make concessions."