Man Utd verify ahead’s switch exit as Michael Carrick makes Joshua Zirkzee assertion
Manchester United have offloaded a striker as Michael Carrick addressed one of his attacking options with the January transfer window nearing its end
Goal-shy striker Joshua Zirkzee has been a £37m flop at Manchester United(Image: Getty)
Manchester United have offloaded striker Joe Hugill but Michael Carrick has ruled out allowing Joshua Zirkzee to join the frontline departures.
Hugill, now 22, has been with the club since arriving as a youngster from Sunderland but failed to establish himself in the first-team setup. He’s enjoyed loan spells away from Old Trafford with clubs including Altrincham, Burton Albion, Wigan and Carlisle, but will now seal a permanent switch to Kilmarnock before the January transfer window slams shut on Monday, February 2.
United have no intention of allowing Zirkzee to follow suit through the exit door, despite speculation linking the Dutchman with a return to Italy, where he first established his reputation before joining the Premier League giants in 2024. The £37m flop has endured a goal drought during his time at the club, prompting heavy investment in their attacking options and dropping him further down the hierarchy, with clubs like Juventus reportedly monitoring his situation.
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However, Carrick maintains he’s keen to retain Zirkzee as part of his squad. He said: “Josh is just trying to work to get fit and get around the group. It has been great to have him back training with the group for the first time.
“That is as far as it goes, for me and for Josh. I am looking forward to working with him. That’s it, nothing else has been needed to be said,” reports the Mirror.
Zirkzee has been restricted to just four Premier League starts and has managed only two goals this season with playing time proving elusive.
He witnessed Rasmus Hojlund’s departure in the summer, with the Dane subsequently flourishing back in Italy with Napoli, though it appears unlikely that Zirkzee will follow suit.
Carrick had been informed that, despite his appointment as head coach until the end of the campaign, he would need to make do with the squad he inherited. United’s transfer plans remain on ice until the summer, but the manager isn’t dismissing possibilities entirely with the window shutting on Monday night.
He commented: “I think we are just working through it, never say never. A lot can happen and situations can be thrown up. Sometimes it is in our control, sometimes it is out of our control that we have got to deal with.
“We are calm, I am pretty calm. We have got and we have shown what we are capable of doing as a team. We will have to see what the next few days bring. But we are calm about it.”
United’s primary objective is securing a midfielder, though their preferred candidates won’t be accessible until the summer and will command hefty fees. They’re monitoring players such as Elliot Anderson, Adam Wharton and Carlos Baleba.
