Story by Daniel Orme
Key takeaways
- Blocked Juventus Move: Joshua Zirkzee’s potential exit to Juventus looks unlikely as the club is closing deals for Randal Kolo Muani (£42m) and Kerim Alajbegovic, leaving little room for the Dutch striker.
- Limited Future at United: Michael Carrick’s recent decisions suggest Zirkzee has minimal prospects at Old Trafford, highlighted by only a brief pre-season cameo.
- Other Interest: Despite setbacks, Zirkzee may attract attention from Ajax and some Premier League clubs, though concrete moves remain uncertain.
Joshua Zirkzee might just have seen his Manchester United exit route blocked, with Juventus pursuing alternative targets. The Dutchman was expected to leave Old Trafford this summer following a disappointing couple of seasons.
Zirkzee, 25, joined the club from Bologna for a fee of £36.5m in 2024 but he has gone on to score just nine goals since then – just five of those coming in the Premier League. It was previously suggested that United were happy to cut their losses on him this summer.
A return to Serie A was touted for the former Bayern Munich man, with Juventus emerging as potential suitors. But a switch to Turin now looks unlikely given Juventus’ own business.
According to reports in Italy, the Old Lady are closing in on a permanent deal for French striker Randal Kolo Muani for a fee of around £42m (€50m), while they have also completed a move for Bayer Leverkusen’s Kerim Alajbegovic.
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Given those two moves, it appears unlikely that Juventus will want to sign Zirkzee as well. The only route to a move to Turin appears to be a swap deal involving the Dutch forward and Francisco Conceição, albeit it remains to be seen whether that is an avenue that the Red Devils want to explore.
He does also appear to have other interest, specifically from Ajax and Premier League sides, but whether that becomes a tangible move, is another matter. It could leave Zirkzee in a very tricky spot, with Carrick appearing to signal that the forward has little future at Old Trafford, having only given him a brief cameo in the pre-season win against Atletico Madrid.
Fellow forward Bryan Mbeumo instead started centrally and enjoyed a productive evening by scoring twice. Speaking about his role, the Cameroonian said: “Obviously, I’m lucky to be able to play a different position and I try to give my best. It depends on the games (where I play).
Joshua Zirkzee© Getty Images
“We try to get ready for the first game of the season and we work really hard on the training so it’s really important to have good results as well.
He added: “Obviously I’m always really challenging myself every time and will never regret having this challenge.”
Away from Zirkzee and Mbeumo, United could potentially be left with a decision to make over Benjamin Sesko. According to reports in Germany, Bayern Munich remain interested in the former RB Leipzig man, albeit their focus for now remains on agreeing a new deal with star forward Harry Kane.
