Joshua Zirkzee laughs at Bryan Mbeumo amid Man United exit links
Joshua Zirkzee has sent a message to new Man United man Bryan Mbeumo amid speculation that the Dutchman could leave Old Trafford this summer.
Zirkzee joined Man United last summer from Bologna for £36.5million [Sky Sports], but massively struggled to make his mark in his maiden campaign amid their struggles under both Erik ten Hag and Ruben Amorim.
The Netherlands international forward netted just seven goals in 49 appearances last term, while he only managed to make 14 league starts as United finished in a lowly 15th position.
Talk of him possibly being set to depart this summer after just a year with the Red Devils has been rife, with Football Insider recently revealing that Inter Milan are lining up a swoop for Zirkzee.
Atalanta have made Zirkzee one of their primary targets this summer [Quotidiano] after he previously impressed in Serie A, and so a departure does seem likely in the coming weeks, and he has sent a message to his teammate in the face of links away.
Zirkzee laughs at Mbeumo on Man United’s pre-season tour
Zirkzee remains at United for now, but he has seen strong competition arrive for places in attack with Mbeumo joining from Brentford and Brazilian forward Matheus Cunha arriving from Wolves this summer.
The Netherlands international took to his Instagram story on Sunday (27 July) to post a message about Mbeumo as they look to strike up a good relationship away from the pitch, with a video of the Cameroonian being caught off guard by Zirkzee while they watched baseball in the USA alongside a caption of three laughing emojis.
Man United should sell Rasmus Hojlund over Zirkzee
Football Insider verdict
Neither Hojlund nor Zirkzee impressed in a red shirt last term, and both are probably up for sale for the right price this summer, yet it does feel more likely that the former departs due to his struggles last season.
Hojlund also faltered in front of goal in 2024/25, but that was his second season at Old Trafford compared to Zirkzee’s first, and the Dane is now entering his third campaign with the Red Devils having only scored 26 times in 95 appearances.
| Player | Appearances | Goals | Assists |
| Rasmus Hojlund | 52 | 10 | 4 |
| Joshua Zirkzee | 49 | 7 | 3 |
Napoli have been linked with a move for Hojlund this summer, and Football Insider revealed on 4 July that his sale holds the key for United making a move for Aston Villa frontman Ollie Watkins.
Zirkzee, meanwhile, has also failed to impress, but may well suit Amorim’s style more as a versatile player that can also feature in-behind an out-and-out striker, where Hojlund can only play up-front, so it does look more likely that he will leave instead of the Dutchman this summer.
The Red Devils are currently negotiating with RB Leipzig to sign Benjamin Sesko, amid interest from Newcastle too, and so if they bring the Slovenian frontman in soon, they may even look to sell both Hojlund and Zirkzee in the coming weeks.