Two Italian clubs want to recruit £36.5m Man Utd star - Fabrizio Romano

Juventus and Roma are still in contention to sign Manchester United striker Joshua Zirkzee during the winter transfer window.

Zirkzee was widely tipped to join Roma earlier this month, but the scenario changed after manager Ruben Amorim’s dismissal.

Roma have gone on to sign Robinio Vaz and Donyell Malen from Marseille and Aston Villa respectively to bolster their strikeforce.

Despite this, reputed journalist Fabrizio Romano claims that the Giallorossi are not on the race and are assessing Zirkzee’s status.

Juventus have also entered the pursuit of the former Bologna man. The Serie A duo are waiting for United’s next transfer step.

There will be an internal meeting with interim boss Michael Carrick to assess whether the club need a new recruit before the transfer window closes.

United are not contemplating any winter exits at the moment, but the meeting could decide on what happens with the future of Zirkzee.

Zirkzee exit could be on for the right price

Roma signed French wonderkid Vaz on a permanent deal from Marseille, while Malen was recruited for £2 million with a £25 million obligation to purchase.

The Giallorossi were exploring a similar deal for Zirkzee. The Dutchman has his sights set on a new challenge after the Netherlands qualified for the World Cup.

The 24-year-old believes he can break into Ronald Koeman’s side for the global tournament, but that seems unlikely to happen if he stays with the Red Devils.

United have no plans to grant his departure, but a final decision could be made between the hierarchy and Carrick. Carrick had Benjamin Sesko on the bench last weekend, while Zirkzee was not even in the matchday squad.

Sesko was an unused substitute during the Manchester derby win despite scoring three goals in his previous two games in all competitions. The decision was obviously tactical.

Zirkzee has been a regular substitute, playing second fiddle to Sesko upfront. If the latter can’t get a starting berth, Zirkzee’s prospects of regular game time could be pretty bleak.

United signed the Dutchman for £36.5 million from Bologna in the summer of 2024. A winter exit could be on if the Red Devils can secure a loan with a buy obligation close to that fee.

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Article written by Sri Aswin .