Joshua Zirkzee’s Man United transfer accelerated as Jorge Mendes holds ‘talks’
Joshua Zirkzee is surely accelerating plans to leave Man United as soon as possible following new developments around a striker target of theirs.
Joshua Zirkzee joined Man United from Bologna in 2024 but massively struggled to make his mark in his maiden campaign amid the club’s struggles under both Erik ten Hag and Ruben Amorim.
The striker 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 in the summer window after just a year with the Red Devils was rife, with Football Insider revealing that Inter Milan were lining up a swoop for Zirkzee.
He stuck around at Old Trafford despite the arrivals of Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesko, but a lack of game-time has led Football Insider to reveal that Zirkzee wants to leave in January, and new reports will mean he wants to get out as soon as possible.
Man United are in talks with Karim Adeyemi’s agent
United have been in great form as of late, but the goals have not particularly flowed for their strikers with Sesko on just two strikes so far, Cunha having scored once, and Zirkzee yet to find the net in his five appearances.
The Dutchman is yet to start a game in 2025-26 and has played just 90 minutes off the bench across those five games, and he is clearly the most likely of Amorim’s forwards to leave in the new year.
German outlet Bild have now reported that Borussia Dortmund star Karim Adeyemi‘s agent, Jorge Mendes, has held talks with Man United over a potential move for the forward to Old Trafford.
His future at Dortmund is seriously uncertain as it stands following a public rift with manager Niko Kovac, after he launched a water bottle at the bench when he was substituted during their 1-0 win over Koln on 25 October.
His current contract expires in 2027, and demands by Adeyemi’s camp for a long-term extension with a release clause valued at £70million have not been well-received by the German giants’ chiefs.
Adeyemi only recently became a client of super-agent Mendes, and he has recent history with United after facilitating their moves for Leny Yoro and Manuel Ugarte, so could repeat that trick with the 23-year-old striker.
He has long been rated as one of the most highly-rated forwards in the Bundesliga, with 12 goals and 11 assists in 41 appearances last season and 11 Germany caps to his name up to now.
Adeyemi would undoubtedly improve United’s forward line as a replacement for Zirkzee, who almost certainly needs to depart the club in January now that they are known to be targeting a new striker.
The Dutchman can barely get a look in as it stands already, and so the potential arrival of Adeyemi would surely mean spending the second-half of the season sitting in the stands and unable to even make matchday squads.
Who Zirkzee could join as January exit looks more likely
Zirkzee does have options right now as he weighs up whether to fight for his place under Amorim or leave United soon.
Serie A side Roma have reportedly made contact with United for Zirkzee, and he is known to be open to returning to Italy where he found goals much easier to come by at Bologna.
He could still remain in England, after Football Insider recently revealed that Everton and West Ham are both interested in moves for Zirkzee in January as they each aim to add more depth up-front for the second-half of the campaign.
It would certainly not come as a shock to see Zirkzee seal a loan exit from United soon regardless of incomings, and news of their interest in Adeyemi means he is surely due to leave in the new year.