Manchester United's plan to sell Zirkzee has been revealed; he agreed to transfer to Roma before the Newcastle match! A possible exchange involving a defensive midfielder

Manchester United striker Joshua Zirkzee came on as a substitute in the 1-0 victory over Newcastle United, but due to his lack of pressing upfront, he was repeatedly scolded by head coach Rúben Amorim. After the match, the 24-year-old Dutch forward swapped jerseys with Newcastle’s Nick Woltemade. Fans jokingly said that the "cursing guy" doesn’t even need to wash the Manchester United No.11 shirt, mocking Zirkzee for not sweating because of his low effort on the pitch.

Zirkzee might be actively pushing Manchester United to let him leave. According to Italian media, before the match against Newcastle, he held multiple meetings with Serie A club Roma and has already agreed to join them, but he still needs approval from the Red Devils to have the chance to return to Italy.

Transfer expert Ben Jacobs explained: "Zirkzee is waiting to see if Manchester United will agree to loan him to Roma. Negotiations between Zirkzee and Roma are already very advanced, but Manchester United has yet to inform either the player or the Serie A club whether they will allow him to leave in January."

Italian Sky Sports confirmed that Roma is negotiating for both Manchester United’s Zirkzee and La Liga’s Atlético Madrid Italian forward Giacomo Raspadori. However, the two are not in a "choose one" situation; Gasperini hopes to sign both attackers to boost the team’s offensive power and strengthen their chances of qualifying for the Champions League or even winning it.

The Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport revealed that during the negotiations, Gasperini promised Zirkzee and his agent that he would become a starter and leader of the attacking line at Roma, which is completely different from being sidelined and idle at Manchester United, assuring him an important role.

Therefore, after negotiations in the days before the Newcastle match, Zirkzee himself has fully agreed to transfer to Roma in January. He feels desperate about his lack of playing time at Manchester United and hopes to leave soon to get more matches under his belt, aiming to return to the Dutch national team for the upcoming World Cup in the USA, Canada, and Mexico next summer.

During the injuries of Szeszko and Cunha, Zirkzee started three consecutive matches against Everton, Crystal Palace, and West Ham, scoring a spectacular goal. However, since being substituted in the West Ham game, Amorim has fixed him on the bench again. Despite seven players missing for the Newcastle match, Zirkzee remained a substitute, with Amorim preferring to use full-back Patrick Dogu as the No.10, who scored the winning goal, making Zirkzee’s situation even more awkward.

Although Manchester United’s £65 million attempt to sign Bournemouth forward Antoine Semenyo failed, Amorim insists that players can only leave in January after a replacement is found. However, it seems Zirkzee’s departure from Old Trafford is only a matter of time. Once Mbemo, Amad Diallo, and Mazraoui return, he will no longer be needed.

Corriere dello Sport reported that Zirkzee not only spoke with Roma coach Gasperini but also met with the club’s management, including sporting director Frederic Massara, and ultimately gave his "full approval" for the potential transfer.

Roma is confident about completing the deal, expecting to arrange a loan first and then buy Zirkzee outright for €40 million at the end of the season. The transaction is anticipated to be finalized by mid-January, as Manchester United’s African Cup internationals will have returned by then.

The African final will take place on January 18. Mazraoui’s Morocco leads Group A with one win and one draw in the first two matches, and a draw in the last round will secure qualification; Mbemo’s Cameroon and Amad’s Ivory Coast both won their opening games and are favored to advance to the knockout stage.

Italian journalist Francesca Teodori hinted that Manchester United mentioned Roma midfielder Manu Koné in negotiations, showing interest in the French player. Inter Milan once tried to sign Koné for €50 million but were rejected by Roma. Koné joined Roma from Bundesliga’s Borussia Mönchengladbach in the summer 2024 window, earning a weekly wage of £110,000 with the "Giallorossi." He has scored 2 goals and provided 4 assists in 66 appearances for Roma and has 12 caps for France, with a good chance to participate in the 2026 World Cup.

Teodori stated: "This is not news, but it’s a fairly credible rumor. I have heard from multiple sources that Koné will leave Roma in June to join Manchester United. I don’t know if this is related to the Zirkzee deal; he might be used as a bargaining chip. This remains to be seen, but it’s certain Koné is eager to join a Premier League club, and it looks likely he will sign for Manchester United in June."

Of course, Italian media reports are usually less reliable. Manchester United legend Sir Alex Ferguson once said: "If Italians say there’s pasta on the plate, I still carefully check what’s under the sauce. They are masters of rumors."