Despite speculation over his future, Joshua Zirkzee was selected at the top of the line and scored his first Premier League goal since December last year as Manchester United came from behind to beat Crystal Palace.
If Joshua Zirkzee does indeed leave Manchester United in January, he will finally be breaking his Premier League duck to do so. It had been almost a full 12 months since the Dutchman scored in the Premier League before he scored at Selhurst Park on Sunday.
Zirksee, who arrived from Bologna for £34m late in Erik ten Hag’s tenure, see little chance ahead of this season, with the club’s £200m summer investment in attacking talent, plus Mason Mount’s return to fitness, moving them down the pecking order under manager Ruben Amorim. Had there been a buyer willing to meet United’s demands before Napoli’s deal with Rasmus Højlund materialized, he could have made a move in the summer.
With Benjamin Sesco the new first-choice in attack and Matheus Cunha also ahead of him as manager Amorim’s second team No. 9, Zirkzee is hoping to leave when the transfer window reopens in order to be in action more regularly. That is necessary for him to be selected for the Netherlands squad for the World Cup, and Italy, especially Roma, have shown interest in bringing him back.
read more: Manchester United player rating: 8/10 stars after big win against Crystal Palaceread more: Manchester United’s Adam Wharton transfer plans clear as Bruno Fernandes sends timely reminder
In fact, he only started in south London due to the absence of Sesco and Cunha and Amorim’s preference for Brian Mbeumo (the third man in this summer’s attacking reload) to play on the right wing rather than function centrally. It’s a return to fame that no one expected a few weeks ago, when Cunha was growing up and Sesco was starting to establish himself, or at the end of the summer, when Amorim was still willing to let him leave if the right deal was made.
But given his chance due to injury, Zirkzee made the point with a fine second-half performance and his 54th-minute goal put United back on track with Jean-Philippe Mateta’s opener followed by Mason Mount’s winner.
That came after a difficult first half in which Zirksee, and United as a whole, were off the pace. Some harsh words were shared in the away locker room during the break, but Zylski gave Amorim the response he was hoping for.
“Scoring is important, but it’s not just about goals,” Amorim said on Zirkzee’s display. “They give him confidence, but Joshua has also improved a lot with the way he carries the ball. That should give him a lot of confidence.”
“He influences the game and that’s important for our game. He needs to maintain that level in training.”
United captain Bruno Fernandes was delighted with Zirksee’s contribution, insisting he could break his 11-month run without scoring and bring a real cutting edge to the Red Devils this December.
“Of course, it’s important that all players score. Strikers want goals and they want chances, but it’s not just about that,” said the Portuguese. “Even when he’s not scoring goals, Josh makes a lot of contributions to the team.
“Of course we are very happy, because we know that this will give him confidence, that he will try more and create more shooting chances. He is very capable of that.”
United and Amorim may need to include him in goal in the coming weeks. But by the time January rolls around, he might be looking out again.
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive Mirror Football content every day. Community members also receive special offers, promotions, and advertisements from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check it out whenever you like. If you are interested, please read our privacy notice.
Sky Sports Premier League and EFL package discounts
£43
£35
sky
Get the deal here
Sky has reduced the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle ahead of the 2025/26 season, saving members £192 on their bill and offering more than 1,400 live matches from the Premier League, EFL and more.
Sky will broadcast at least 215 live Premier League matches next season, with an increase of up to 100 more.
