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Manchester United will have to make a major decision on the future of Joshua Zirkzee after receiving an approach from Napoli for the Netherlands international.
The 25-year-old is, remarkably, still on the books at Old Trafford, despite barely playing since joining from Bologna for €42.5 million in 2024. Once the most in-demand player in Serie A, Zirkzee has been a flop at Man Utd.
Primarily a substitute under three different managers, and replaced by Benjamin Sesko after just one season, the Dutchman has yet to crack the 3,000-minute mark since his move to England.
Rumours over his future first emerged just six months into his Red Devils spell, and they have been virtually ever-present since. Every window, Zirkzee is linked with a return to Italy, where AC Milan, Juventus, Fiorentina, AS Roma and Napoli have, at various times, chased his signature.
It is no different now. Man Utd refused to sell the versatile forward this summer due to their failure to source a replacement, and speculation is once again rife as he has only played 70 minutes so far this season.
Napoli hold Zirkzee talks
Once again, the 25-year-old is the subject of interest from various Italian clubs, including Napoli. In fact, their president, Aurelio De Laurentiis, is said to have already held some preliminary talks with Man Utd over a possible deal.
At least that’s according to AreaNapoli, which claims that Zirkzee is a prime target for the 2025 Scudetto winners. However, there is no unanimous support for his signing.
It is asserted that while manager Massimiliano Allegri has a “positive” opinion of the Netherlands forward, he still backs himself to get the best out of Lorenzo Lucca, for whom Napoli shelled out a financial package of €35m.
Last season, the 26-year-old scored two goals for the Naples outfit before being loaned to Nottingham Forest, where he netted once in just nine appearances. Since his return to Italy, he has played 100 minutes and not yet found the back of the net.
Given Lucca’s struggles, Napoli are closely monitoring Zirkzee’s situation, but it is noted that there is also competition from Fiorentina and Juventus. Both had already wanted him this summer.
Free-spending Fiorentina seemed to be closing in on a deal, but the transfer collapsed. Juventus’ interest, meanwhile, was driven by director Ricky Massara, who had already wanted Zirkzee at Roma. However, manager Luciano Spalletti was unconvinced, and the finances also weren’t right.
It is clear that Zirkzee needs to leave Man Utd, but it remains to be seen how the club will handle his future. They are already short of centre-forward options due to Benjamin Sesko’s recurring shin problem.
Offloading the Dutchman would necessitate the signing of a replacement. However, some of the names they have been linked with – such as Freiburg striker Igor Matanovic – might not be available mid-season.
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