Roma Target Man Utd's Zirkzee in January Loan Move with Option to Buy

AS Roma are preparing to launch a loan move for Manchester United forward Joshua Zirkzee, with an option to make the deal permanent. The 24-year-old Dutch international has struggled for form and game time since his £36.5 million move from Bologna. Meanwhile, United manager Ruben Amorim reflected on a steep learning curve this past year, stating he would handle many things differently. The news comes as United prepare for a pivotal Boxing Day clash against Newcastle in their push for the top four.

Key Points: Roma Eye Loan for Man Utd's Zirkzee | Transfer News

  • Roma's loan proposal
  • Zirkzee's limited impact at United
  • Amorim's managerial reflection
  • United's crucial Boxing Day fixture
2 min read

Roma eye loan move for Manchester United forward Joshua Zirkzee

Roma prepare a loan bid for Man United forward Joshua Zirkzee. Get the latest on the potential January transfer and his United struggles.

"I learned more this year than the other five as a manager. - Ruben Amorim"

Manchester, December 25

Roma will start preparing a proposal for Manchester United forward Joshua Zirkzee on Friday. The Italian club is reportedly looking to take him on loan initially, with an option to buy if certain conditions are met, according to Sky Sports.

Earlier this month, Manchester United were aware of Roma's interest, but the club is not thought to be actively seeking to sell Zirkzee when the transfer window opens, as per Sky Sports.

The 24-year-old recently made an impact for Ruben Amorim's side, scoring the equaliser in last month's 2-1 win over Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park. That goal is Zirkzee's only strike of the ongoing Premier League season, having featured 11 times across all competitions.

The Netherlands international joined Manchester United in the summer of 2024 from Bologna for £36.5 million. However, the former Bayern Munich attacker has struggled for game time and form at Old Trafford, scoring eight goals in 60 appearances across all competitions.

Manchester United will take on Newcastle on December 27 (Indian Standard Time) in the Boxing Day fixture. Currently 7th on the Premier League table with 26 points, a win for Manchester United would see them draw level on points with 4th-placed Chelsea, who are set to play Aston Villa on Saturday.

Ahead of the match, Ruben Amorim said he has learned more in the past year than in his previous five as a manager, and that if he could, he would handle many things--including on-field tactics--very differently.

"I would love to go back to the last year. We suffer a lot in this moment and I would do things so differently. I learned more this year than the other five as a manager. I will do so many things in a different way, not just in everything but also on the pitch, the way we play the game," Amorim said as quoted by Sky Sports.

"No matter what happens in the future, I learned so much, and I'm a different manager. It's hard to point one thing, but to take all the value of the squad that I had last year, maybe it was not the right choices all the time. I watched the games from last season to understand different things. I'm a different manager today. I will do maybe 75 per cent of the things differently, but the key things, the red lines would be the same. I think I'm a better manager now," Amorim added.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

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Priya S
Honestly, it might be good for his career. He's clearly not fitting into Amorim's system. 8 goals in 60 games is not good enough for a United striker. A move to Serie A could help him regain confidence. Sometimes a change of scenery works wonders.
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Arjun K
Focus should be on the Newcastle match! Boxing Day fixture is huge. If we win, we're back in the top 4 race. Player transfers can wait till January. Come on United! 🤞
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Sarah B
Interesting to see Amorim's comments. He admits he made mistakes. If he's learned and is a "different manager" now, maybe he should give Zirkzee a proper run of games with this new approach before deciding to ship him out. The manager's growth should benefit the players too.
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Vikram M
As an Indian fan watching from afar, I feel United's problem is not one player. The whole system seems unstable. Buying players for big money and then not using them properly is poor planning. The club needs a clear vision, not just reactionary loans.
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Karthik V
Loan with option to buy is a bad deal for United. We'll end up losing money on him. If he does well at Roma, they buy him cheap. If he flops, we get back a player whose value has dropped further. Should either keep him or sell permanently now.

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