Manchester United have delivered a firm ‘no’ to any prospect of striker Joshua Zirkzee leaving for AS Roma during the January transfer window, ending weeks of speculation. The decision was confirmed by Roma’s director of football, Frederic Massara.
United's Definitive Stance on Zirkzee Future
Despite strong and persistent links throughout the first half of the season, Manchester United have closed the door on a potential switch for the Dutch international to Serie A. Massara revealed that the Premier League giants made their position clear and have not wavered. ‘Manchester United said no quite clearly a couple of weeks ago and they have not changed their minds,’ he told the BBC.
The 24-year-old forward has found opportunities limited at Old Trafford this season, making just four Premier League starts among his 14 appearances. The summer arrivals of Benjamin Sesko, Matheus Cunha, and Bryan Mbeumo pushed him down the pecking order, leading to rumours of a January exit, with a loan to Roma reportedly even agreed in principle at one stage.
Carrick's Attacking Options Influence Decision
The club’s stance was solidified amid a period of managerial uncertainty, following the sacking of Ruben Amorim and the interim appointments of first Darren Fletcher and now Michael Carrick. The situation in attack has since improved from United’s perspective.
Michael Carrick oversaw an impressive 2-0 victory over Manchester City recently, with Mbeumo and Amad Diallo returning from the Africa Cup of Nations to bolster his options. Furthermore, Sesko, who showed good form under Fletcher, was an unused substitute in that match, indicating depth in the forward line. Zirkzee missed the City clash with a minor knock, unrelated to transfer dealings.
Roma Move On as Window Enters Final Fortnight
With the Red Devils refusing to budge, Roma have already acted to secure alternative attacking reinforcements. The Giallorossi have completed the signings of Donyell Malen from Aston Villa and young talent Robinio Vaz from Marseille.
Massara commented on the new arrivals, stating, ‘These are two strong players, obviously one is a young talent with prospects, the other is an international who already has a name on the European stage.’ He added that the club will remain alert for opportunities in the final 15 days of the transfer window, but the pursuit of Zirkzee is conclusively over.
While the possibility remains that United could reassess Zirkzee’s status as surplus before the deadline—especially with only the Premier League to focus on—the current message from the club is unequivocal: the striker is staying put.
