Former Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim is reportedly eyeing a reunion with striker Joshua Zirkzee ahead of the January transfer window. The two worked together at Old Trafford before Amorim was sacked in January.
Milan Set Sights on Zirkzee
After a few months out of management, the manager returned in the summer, becoming the head coach of Italian giants AC Milan. The team currently sit fifth in the Serie A table after the first five games, and it seems eyes are already turning to the winter window.
Calciomercato reports that Milan have ‘set their sights’ on Zirkzee. It’s reported that they are hoping to agree a loan deal with an option to buy with United.
Striker’s United Struggles
The report also adds that the striker was ‘very close’ to completing a move to the club before he moved to Old Trafford in the summer of 2024. Zirkzee cost United £36.5 million when moving from Serie A side Bologna just over two years ago.
The move has not gone as many would have hoped, with the Dutchman struggling to nail down a regular place in the starting lineup. He was heavily linked with a move away in the summer window, with Italian sides Juventus and Fiorentina said to have held talks, but no move materialised, and he remained with United.
International Call-Up and Carrick Comments
Zirkzee has made four appearances in all competitions so far this season, with all of those coming as a second-half substitute. Despite the minimal minutes, he was a surprise call-up to the Netherlands national team after injury to Brian Bobbley.
The reports about his future come just a matter of hours after Zirkzee refused to blame United boss Michael Carrick for the situation he is in. But he did express surprise at the call-up to the Dutch side, due to his lack of game time.
"At the moment, that means I am mainly coming on as a substitute," Zirkzee said about his role at United. "And in the end, I have to do something about that myself, even if it isn't easy. Even so, it was still quite a big surprise that the coach called me up."
He added: "I absolutely did not expect a call-up. I'm obviously not a starter, so it did give me a good feeling that the coach had confidence in me to call me up. But absolutely not expected, no."
Following his call-up, the striker earned his first international cap in nearly two years. He was also on the scoresheet in the Netherlands' 2-1 win over Serbia over the weekend.
