Joshua Zirkzee has cast further doubt over his Manchester United future after appearing to delete references to the club on his Instagram page.Â
The forward has been linked with a transfer to Roma during the January window.
However, the appointment of Michael Carrick and the Italian club’s investment in other targets has left Zirkzee in limbo.
Roma are set to announce the arrival of Aston Villa forward Donyell Malen and Robinio Vaz from Marseille.
Zirkzee’s involvement in the Manchester derby this weekend could be telling, especially since the returns of Amad Diallo and Bryan Mbeumo from AFCON have provided Carrick with a squad boost.
Carrick makes his return to the dugout against Pep Guardiola’s men following his interim appointment, and AI have provided its best bets for Manchester United vs Manchester City based on statistics.
Joshua Zirkzee Sparks Transfer Speculation
Eagle-eyed social media users have noticed that Zirkzee may have sent a signal to Roma by deleting references to being a Manchester United player from his bio.
He’s also changed his profile picture by removing an image of him wearing a Manchester United shirt.
However, he has kept his uploads on his main page of photos playing for the club.
While fairly innocuous, it does add question marks over his future beyond the month, given the constant speculation throughout January.
Reports in Italy claim Roma are still interested in signing Zirkzee despite their agreements for Malen and Vaz; however were not willing to put all their eggs in one basket given the recent managerial uncertainty at Old Trafford.
Boss Gian Piero Gasperini wants to transform his attack, knowing it could turn the tide in the Serie A title race.
They sit seven points behind league leaders Inter Milan, but have scored just 24 goals in 20 matches – the lowest total in the top seven.
Zirkzee has struggled for regular football under ex-boss Amorim this season, starting just four Premier League matches. Just one of those starts came despite Diallo and Mbeumo’s absence.
Manchester United Transfer News
It’s unlikely Manchester United chiefs will provide Carrick with a large transfer budget this month, given how the club will want to make a long-term appointment in the summer.
So far, it has been deathly quiet at Old Trafford, but a midfielder could still arrive this month should a target become available.
Manchester United have been linked with former Wolves ace Ruben Neves, who currently plays for Al-Hilal.
The Guardian claim Al Hilal would be willing to accept an offer worth around £20m for Neves, with his current deal set to expire at the end of the 2025-26 campaign.
Football Insider correspondent Pete O’Rourke suggests the club are in the market for a new left-winger before the January transfer window closes.
