An out-of-favour Manchester United player may remain part of Ruben Amorim’s plans despite being heavily linked with a move away from Old Trafford this summer.
Man United got their 2025/26 Premier League campaign underway with a 1-0 loss against Arsenal at Old Trafford on Sunday, despite the Red Devils showing signs of promise at times.
Riccardo Calafiori’s header following a goalkeeping error from stand-in shot stopper Altay Bayindir was enough to secure all three points for the away side.
Ahead of the game, there were several notable omissions from United’s squad as Andre Onana and Rasmus Hojlund missed out, although new men Benjamin Sesko, Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo featured.
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Following the match, Amorim put Onana’s absence down to fitness, while Hojlund has since been linked with a move to Napoli, as per Football Italia.
However, another player who has been linked with a transfer could be set to stay at Old Trafford after all.
Joshua Zirkzee, an unused substitute on the weekend, has been linked with several Serie A clubs following an unsuccessful first season at United, during which he netted seven times in 49 appearances, following his 2024 transfer from Italian outfit Bologna.
On August 18, Football Italia claimed that multiple sources in Italy were reporting that Zirkzee was being considered by Napoli as a replacement for Romelu Lukaku, who is set to be sidelined for around three months after suffering a thigh injury in pre-season.
Crystal Palace’s Jean-Philippe Mateta, Roma’s Artem Dovbyk, and Lecce’s Nikola Krstovic are also reportedly being considered by the Campania club.
But Zirkzee, who is contracted to United until the summer of 2029, now looks set to stay, according to journalist Fabrizio Romano.
On Tuesday, Romano wrote on X: “Manchester United consider Joshua Zirkzee not for sale this summer.
“Decision made by the board and Rúben Amorim months ago, never in talks with any Italian club.”
Despite Zirkzee struggling for starts, Amorim has spoken positively about the Dutchman previously and even encouraged him to be more “selfish”.
“I think he's improving in a lot of aspects,” Amorim said in a press conference in April.
“I think he needs to be more selfish, and that is a thing when you play as a striker. He's not a typical striker, but he has to be more selfish. He's more aggressive now, he works better now, he's defending better now, he's connecting quite well.”
Zirkzee will be hoping to feature during United’s trip to Fulham on Sunday.
Topics: Manchester United, Joshua Zirkzee, Ruben Amorim, Premier League, Transfer News, Football, Serie A
Luke Davies