Zirkzee boycotts training to force Manchester United's approval for transfer! Can be a starter at Roma, but staying means missing the World Cup

According to Italian reports, Manchester United’s forward Joshua Zirkzee declined to participate in Friday’s training session, requesting the club’s permission to transfer away. As Mbeumo and Amad Diallo return from the Africa Cup of Nations, the 24-year-old Dutch attacker understands his opportunities are limited, and if he remains, he is destined to miss this summer’s World Cup in the US, Canada, and Mexico.

During the Africa Cup, Zirkzee had one starting chance and scored a goal, but in that match against Wolves, he was substituted at halftime. Now, with Man United eliminated in the first rounds of both the League Cup and FA Cup, only 17 Premier League games remain. If Zirkzee stays, he will be confined to the bench for a long time, with no chance to impress the Dutch national team coach Ronald Koeman.

In contrast, due to Artem Dovbyk’s injury, Roma urgently needs a striker. Dovbyk suffered a left thigh tendon injury in the match against Lecce, which is more serious than initially expected. The forward requires surgery and will be sidelined for a long period.

Therefore, although Roma has signed Marseille’s French striker Robinho Vas and Aston Villa’s Dutch winger Donyell Malen, sporting director Frederic Massara still considers Zirkzee a target. Zirkzee had already agreed to the “Giallorossi” contract, but Manchester United has refused to give the green light. Now, Italian media report that Zirkzee is taking action by not training with teammates, trying to force the club to meet his transfer demands.

Roma previously negotiated a loan deal with a buyout option with Manchester United, where if the club qualifies for the Champions League next season, they would pay €38 million to buy Zirkzee. Initially, United’s stance was to wait until after the Africa Cup, but with Amrabat’s departure and new coach Carrick seemingly wanting to keep all current players, the situation changed.

This frustrates Zirkzee because he knows that no matter what, staying at Old Trafford means sitting on the bench and being excluded from the Netherlands squad for the 2026 World Cup.

The rumors about Zirkzee’s training boycott have not been confirmed or denied by any authoritative source. However, his social media activity clearly shows his personal stance. He liked Malen’s post about his Roma debut, which is not just because they are fellow Dutchmen.

According to La Gazzetta dello Sport: “Zirkzee’s hopes for a transfer are not completely dead yet. Evan Ferguson’s departure is a necessary condition for Zirkzee to join Roma, and Celtic is interested in Ferguson. Yesterday, the Dutchman did not show up at Manchester United’s training ground, and there is no medical report explaining his absence. In fact, while the Red Devils trained, the former Bologna player liked a Roma social media post and added a heart emoji. These signals are enough to indicate the issue and clearly show Zirkzee’s desire to join Gasperini’s Roma.”

Italian transfer expert Fabrizio Romano said: “Roma is continuing to push their plan. They see the opportunity to sign Zirkzee as completely different from other deals and requiring separate consideration. Vas is an investment for the future, while Zirkzee can immediately boost the team’s overall strength. But to those asking me, I want to say that so far, Manchester United has not responded at all regarding discussions about Zirkzee or Koby Meno. Neither discussion has yielded any results yet.”

Romano added: “It’s clear that Meno fits Napoli and Zirkzee fits Roma, but their negotiations have completely stalled. From the club level, talks started in December, aiming to discuss plans and even finalize the signing. But I advise everyone to be cautious.”