Ruben Amorim addresses Joshua Zirkzee's Man Utd future as £36m star faces early exit - The Mirror

Joshua Zirkzee has struggled to find his feet since joining Manchester United in the summer and Ruben Amorim admits the forward could be sold this month with Juventus circling

Ruben Amorim refused to rule out the possibility of Joshua Zirkzee leaving Manchester United in January - just six months after he joined the club.

The Dutchman was signed in the summer from Bologna for £36million and scored on his debut in the opening game of the season. Since then though Zirkzee has struggled to influence games, scoring just three more times.

Already questions are being asked over his future with Juventus reportedly keen on signing the former Bologna man. They're now led by Thiago Motta, was previously worked effectively with Zirkzee in Serie A, and they're reportedly lining up a bid this month.

The 23-year-old endured the embarrassment of being hauled off after half an hour in the final game of 2024 against Newcastle. His withdrawal was cheered by some of his own fans and has seen his long-term future in Manchester questioned.

Amorim has made it clear he wants to retain Zirkzee, but couldn't rule out his exit. “I want to keep Josh because he gives everything and he’s trying in training but we don’t know," he said.

"The window is open and we will see what happens. We just need to focus on training and to take this for the other games. It’s just one point so let’s focus on the performance for the next games."

United are in need of reinforcements but, with funds at a premium, may have to sell before they can buy. Zirkzee is among the assets who could command a decent fee which could be reinvested back into the playing group with goals still a problem for the Manchester outfit.

Zirkzee came off the bench for the final ten minutes in Sunday's draw with Liverpool. In the final seconds he was put through on goal and chose to square it to Harry Maguire, who blazed over from close range.

Bruno Fernandes has been among those to defend Zirkzee, who has found himself in the spotlight after his embarrassing substitute saga.

He said: "Everyone gets a little bit afraid of sometimes stepping in into these big stages, but we need to understand the club we play for. We need to understand the demands to play for this club. But at the same time, I really get frustrated for what happened to Josh, because I was in the stands and I've never seen something like this. And it really frustrates me and annoys me because he's a player that always gives it his all. Always tries as a player that is coming into the team."

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