Joshua Zirkzee has been advised that leaving Manchester United could be the most beneficial decision for his career. The striker’s future has been subject to intense speculation since the campaign began, yet he has remained at Old Trafford despite two transfer windows coming and going.
United signed Zirkzee in from Bologna during the summer of 2024, marking one of Erik ten Hag‘s final signings at Old Trafford. The Netherlands international has netted twice across 16 appearances in all competitions for United this season, accumulating just nine goals since his arrival in Manchester 18 months ago.
Zirkzee struggled to secure consistent game time under former head coach Ruben Amorim, and is yet to feature in any of the three fixtures since Michael Carrick took charge on an interim basis until the season’s conclusion.
United were without Zirkzee through injury for the victories against Manchester City and Arsenal, though the striker returned for the win over Fulham, where he remained on the bench as an unsused substitute.
Despite not taking to the pitch in United’s thrilling 3-2 victory over Fulham last weekend, the striker was first to congratulate match-winner Benjamin Sesko after the final whistle, with his immediate reaction demonstrating his genuine character and delight for his team-mate.
Zirkzee’s most recent goal for United arrived in a draw against Wolves at the end of December, with recent months witnessing ongoing speculation suggesting the 24-year-old may be leaving the club in the near future.
Amidst the rumours, former Chelsea and AC Milan star Ruud Gullit has encouraged Zirkzee to consider leaving United and returning to Italy.
“When he left Bologna, he should have gone to Juventus or AC Milan and stayed in Serie A. He arrived at United when there was a lot of bad energy around the club. It was the wrong time for him.
“There have been rumours that he could now leave United and go to Roma in the summer. I hope he makes that move, or at least join another club in Italy, because it is a much more suitable league for him.”