An out-of-favour Manchester United player has reportedly been pushing for a January move, but Ruben Amorim would rather have him stay to avoid a potential dilemma.
Despite enduring a tough start to the 2025/26 campaign, things have begun to improve for Amorim’s Man United side, with the Red Devils currently on a run of three consecutive wins, having beaten Sunderland, Liverpool, and Brighton in recent weeks.
Summer recruits Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha appear to be clicking into gear based on their recent performances, while goalkeeper Senne Lammens has looked solid in between the sticks, having arrived from Royal Antwerp for £18.1 million on transfer deadline day.
Meanwhile, Benjamin Sesko, who signed from RB Leipzig for a fee which could reach £74 million, has shown signs of promise without hitting the ground running in his nine Premier League appearances for the Red Devils.
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A number of players left United on either loan or permanent transfers during the summer, with Rasmus Hojlund, Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho, and Antony all departing the Red Devils.
As ever, there is likely to be movement in United’s squad during the January transfer window, with the Mirror reporting that forward Joshua Zirkzee wants to leave the club on loan in the winter window, having featured just four times this season.
It is claimed that he would prefer to stay in the Premier League but would not rule out moving abroad as he wants to play regularly with the hope of securing a spot in the Netherlands squad for next summer’s World Cup.
But Zirkzee may be blocked from a move, according to a report from The Sun.
The report stated: "Manchester United are prepared to block requests from their players to leave in the January transfer window amid an expectant squad shortage."
The reason for this is related to the upcoming AFCON, which is scheduled to take place between December 21 and January 18.
Amad, Noussair Mazraoui, and Mbeumo will likely be selected for the Ivory Coast, Morocco, and Cameroon, respectively, meaning Amorim could he left short of attacking options for around four weeks, depending on how the nations progress in the competition.
Earlier this week, Italian outlet La Gazzetta dello Sport reported that Serie A giants AS Roma were keen on bringing Zirkzee to Italy, but any potential deal could he vetoed by Amorim.
West Ham have also been loosely linked with a move for the Dutchman, but David Ornstein claimed a potential move to the Hammers was unlikely.
United return to Premier League action against Nottingham Forest on Saturday.
Topics: Manchester United, Joshua Zirkzee, Transfer News, Premier League, Ruben Amorim, Football
Luke Davies