There’s no secret that Manchester United have made bolstering the central midfield department a priority for the ongoing transfer window ahead of the return to Premier League action.
Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans have already completed moves to Old Trafford this summer, with the aforementioned duo costing a reported £85m combined.
However, Michael Carrick still wants to add a third addition to the heart of his side – but has demanded a dominant ball-winner to help complement the two new arrivals.
If the Red Devils are to continue their heavy spending this window, players are going to have to be sold – which could see one player’s time at the club come to an abrupt end.
What the future holds for Joshua Zirkzee at United
Pre-season often gives players who are on the fringes of the senior squad an opportunity to impress, with this year’s edition no different – as seen with Joshua Zirkzee.
The Dutch attacker only made ten appearances since Carrick’s arrival in February – only one of which from a starting position – subsequently playing second fiddle to Benjamin Sesko.
However, he’s been involved in the club’s pre-season tour to date, even scoring a beautiful solo effort during Friday’s 5-0 hammering of Rosenborg in Norway.
After such a display, many supporters are advocating for the 25-year-old to be given another opportunity throughout 2026/27 – but such a decision still appears highly unlikely.
Zirkzee has constantly been touted with a move away from Old Trafford since the start of 2026 and the links have continued to gather pace since the opening of the summer window.
Juventus are one side who have been constantly monitoring the attacker’s progress, which has seen the player himself green-light a move back to Italy this window.
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Joshua Zirkzee – Manchester United stats |
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|---|---|
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Statistics |
Tally |
|
Games played |
75 |
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Goals scored |
9 |
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Assists |
4 |
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Yellow cards |
7 |
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Minutes played |
2901 |
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Trophies won |
0 |
It remains to be seen how much the Red Devils can recoup from their £36.5m investment, but despite his goal in recent days, he still appears to be a player who will be offloaded.
How United can land the perfect replacement for Zirkzee this summer
Despite United’s continued efforts to land a new central midfielder, other areas of the pitch continue to be monitored, with the view to make a potential investment.
INEOS have recently been exploring a move to land Fenerbahçe left-back Archie Brown, but could face stern competition from Chelsea to land the Englishman’s signature.
It’s not the only other area which could see new additions being made – as Aston Villa forward Ollie Watkins has emerged as a new transfer target for Carrick’s men.
It’s been reported by The Sun that United are considering a potential move for the 30-year-old, who netted 16 times in England’s top-flight last campaign.
They claim Arsenal are another side who could be willing to test the resolve of Unai Emery’s men, who are said to value the England international at the £40m mark.
Such a move would no doubt hand Carrick another proven goalscorer to his attack, which could see Zirkzee fall further down the order and eventually depart Old Trafford.
Watkins’ stats from the recent campaign in the Premier League showcase his all-round quality – subsequently producing numbers which the Dutchman could not match.
The Villa star registered an impressive tally of 1.3 shots on target per 90 last term, with the aforementioned figure placing him above 80% of forwards across Europe.
He also achieved a 46% shot-on-target accuracy, whilst finding the back of the net with every five shots he registered – a tally better than any player currently in Carrick’s squad.
Watkins took his goalscoring feats to Europe throughout the 2025/26 season, as he netted five times and catapulted Emery’s men to Europa League glory.
Such numbers will be music to the ears of United fans, who are craving proven talent who can deliver on the continental stage after securing their return to the Champions League.
The Englishman, who’s been dubbed “one of the PL’s best strikers” by journalist Tom Collomosse, has racked up 91 goals in England’s top-flight throughout his career – further demonstrating his dominance over Zirkzee.
£40m for a player of his proven quality would be a superb deal for United this summer and one which would take some of the responsibility off Sesko’s shoulders.
It would undoubtedly hand Carrick the needed cover he craves in attacking areas and finally allow the Dutchman to move away from Old Trafford to recapture his best form.