Joshua Zirkzee is extremely dissatisfied with his current situation at Manchester United and has now begun exploring the possibility of leaving the club in January.
In Manchester United’s 2-0 victory over Sunderland on Saturday, Zirkzee failed to get any playing time and remained on the substitutes’ bench. This marks the 4th time he has not come off the bench in the team’s 7 Premier League matches so far this season.
After Ruben Amorim took charge last year, the 24-year-old player made 21 consecutive league appearances—until a hamstring injury during an away match against Newcastle United forced an end to his season. For this reason, Zirkzee himself is also confused, unable to understand why his place in the team’s pecking order has dropped so drastically.
So far this season, only young center-backs Taylor Fredricson (45 minutes) and Aiden Heavin (67 minutes) have logged fewer minutes than Zirkzee (82 minutes) in Manchester United’s first team.
According to internal sources, Zirkzee is deeply frustrated with his current predicament. To have a chance of making the Netherlands' World Cup squad next summer, leaving during the January transfer window is crucial for him. Previously, he was omitted from Ronald Koeman’s squad for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Malta and Finland.
This summer, Napoli was eager to sign Zirkzee, but Manchester United had no intention of letting him go. The Serie A side then turned to Rasmus Hojlund—who competed with Zirkzee for the No.9 spot last season—and secured him on a loan deal with a mandatory buyout clause.
In addition to Napoli, Juventus also showed strong interest in loaning Zirkzee, while PSV Eindhoven hoped to bring him back to the Dutch league.
Last December, during a match against Newcastle United at Old Trafford, Zirkzee was substituted in the first half. This "humiliating" substitution left him on the verge of tears. However, he successfully adjusted his form and bounced back last season.
Previously, he was one of the key candidates for the team’s No.10 position, but now his ranking in this role has dropped to 6th or 7th—behind summer signings Brian Mbemo and Matheus Cunha, as well as Mason Mount, Amad Diallo, Bruno Fernandes, and Kobbie Mainoo.
Chido Obi, who made 8 first-team appearances last season, has now returned to the youth system. Under such circumstances, Manchester United may insist on keeping Zirkzee as a backup to cover for any potential injuries to Benjamin Sesko, the main striker signed this summer for £74 million.
There is no doubt, however, that Zirkzee’s dissatisfaction has significantly intensified in recent weeks. For him, if he does not want this season to end with missing out on a World Cup spot, the only chance now seems to be pushing for a move in January.
It is worth noting that only 18 months have passed since he joined Manchester United from Bologna for £43 million last year. To date, he has made 53 appearances for the club across all competitions, scoring 7 goals.
