Man Utd flop Erik ten Hag did not price instructed Ruben Amorim will not play him both

Ian Wright has cast doubt on Joshua Zirkzee’s future at Manchester United under new boss Ruben Amorim, suggesting the striker simply isn’t up to scratch.

Despite arriving from Bologna with a £36 million price tag, the 23-year-old has failed to impress, netting only once in 14 appearances for the Red Devils and reportedly landing at Old Trafford significantly overweight. Reports have surfaced that Zirkzee wasn’t a pick by Erik ten Hag but a choice made by the club’s revamped football management.

Since his return from injury, Danish forward Rasmus Hojlund has moved ahead of Zirkzee in the pecking order, and with Amorim set to take over from Ten Hag next week, Wright believes Zirkzee’s chances of regular playtime look bleak, reports the Mirror.

On Wrighty’s House podcast, the ex-Arsenal forward said: “Do you know something? When I look at the strikers at Manchester United, I look at [Rasmus] Hojlund and Zirkzee. Going forward, as a United player to take the club to the level they need to be top-four, Champions League, title challengers I can’t see in any formation Zirkzee making it from what I’ve seen so far.

“I can see it with Hojlund, he looks like a future player with better players around him. He gives me the impression that if he gets in and around the box and he gets chances, he can go hot. I don’t see the same with Zirkzee. I look at him and his movement, I don’t see anything in his game that makes me think, ‘Okay, there he is, I see what he can do’.”

Wright added: “I see that in Hojlund and some of the others. I can see them easily levelling up but I feel for Zirkzee. United still need a striker. Whether they turn Marcus [Rashford] into that or they get a top striker in, they need one, to go alongside Hojlund and maybe for Hojlund to be the back-up.”

“I’m trying to think of Ruben Amorim coming in and who he’s going to play. Zirkzee will need to go through some massive transformation to play in the team ahead of other players.

“He’s [Zirkzee] definitely not a natural goalscorer. I’m still waiting to see it from him.”