Serie A club's director responds to rumors linking Manchester United's Joshua Zirkzee with move to club
Juventus director Cristiano Giuntoli has remained coy on a possible move for Manchester United's Joshua Zirzkee in 2025. The Dutch striker arrived at Old Trafford from Bologna this summer on a reported £36.5m fee, but has been a disappointment so far.
Zirkzee was outstanding under Thiago Motta last season, registering 12 goals and seven assists from 37 games across competitions. Unfortunately, the 23-year-old has been a shadow of his former self with the Red Devils, managing just three goals and two assists in 22 games so far.
Recent reports have suggested that Manchester United are willing to let him go. With Motta currently in charge of Juventus, Zirkzee has been linked with a reunion with his former manager at Turin as a possible replacement for Arkadiusz Milik. However, Giuntoli has refused to indulge in those rumors.
Speaking recently, as cited by 90 Min, Giuntoli insisted that they were waiting for Milik to return to full fitness.
"We are waiting for Milik (Arkadiusz Milik). I can just say that Zirkzee is a very good player but he's under contract at Man Utd. I can't add more now, we're focusing on completely different things now," said Giuntoli
Zirkzee is under contract with the Red Devils until 2029 and has registered two goals in five games under Ruben Amorim.
Who is Manchester United's rumoured new signing Diego Leon?
Acclaimed journalist Fabrizio Romano has recently claimed that Manchester United have reached a verbal agreement for the signing of Paraguayan left-back Diego Leon. The 17-year-old is not old enough to join the Red Devils in January, and a move will only be completed next summer.
The Premier League giants are yet to provide an official confirmation about the move. Romano has said that Manchester United will pay Cerro Porteno, Leon's parent club, an initial fee of $4m, with a further $1m in add-ons. There's an option of an additional $3.5m based on the player's performance.
The Red Devils have suffered due to a lack of a proven left-back in the team in the past 18 months. Tyrell Malacia only recently returned to full fitness, while Luke Shaw is injured once again.
Manchester United have been linked with multiple candidates for the job of late, including Bayern Munich's Alphonso Davies. The Paraguayan has appeared 19 times for Porteno’s senior team and is an attacking full-back who matches Ruben Amorim's philosophy.