Sunday's draw at Ipswich will have left Ruben Amorim in no doubt as to the scale of the job ahead of him at Manchester United.
Though there were some tentatively encouraging signs, United struggled to take the initiative when Ipswich tired late in the game. In truth, the hosts had the better chances at 1-1 in the game, and could easily have snatched a famous win at Portman Road.
Several of this United squad may not be suited to the intensity of Amorim's desired set-up, and that was certainly showcased by elements of Sunday's performance against Ipswich.
It is still early days for Joshua Zirkzee at Old Trafford but the Dutchman already seems perilously close to falling into that category.
A moment Joshua Zirkzee will never forget 💥
The first goal of the 2024/25 Premier League season 👏 pic.twitter.com/vZVkPmxQ6r— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) August 16, 2024
Zirkzee made a dream start to his time with the club, scoring the winner on his debut against Fulham, but it has been far tougher going since then. He was one of the players singled out for subtle criticism by new head coach Ruben Amorim after the draw at Portman Road, with Amorim saying to Sky Sports:
I think that [decision-making] is a concern, you don’t need to coach them at this level...you have like we are in the end of the game, we were around the box with two strikers. Josh [Zirkzee] has to understand that he has to go to the box to have the crosses.
It now appears that Zirkzee's time at United could be limited, with multiple reports suggesting that discussions have opened with Italian giants Juventus.
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Manchester United open to Juventus approach for Joshua Zirkzee
It was reported in Italy's Corriere dello Sport on Tuesday that Juventus are in discussions with Joshua Zirkzee's agent. Prior to joining Manchester United, Zirkzee played under current Juventus manager Thiago Motta at Bologna, and Motta appears keen to be reunited with the Dutch international.
Not only are Juventus seemingly interested in signing Zirkzee - it seems that United would be more than open to such a move, judging by multiple reports in the UK on Tuesday.
One goes so far as to suggest that owners INEOS have already brutally deemed the 23-year-old a "lost cause," while there appears to be a widespread acceptance that United are ready to cut their losses on the most disappointing of their summer signings thus far.
It would be a particularly cut-throat way to start the Ruben Amorim era but the performances have certainly been sub-par from Zirkzee since his arrival in Manchester.
Given the public frustrations aired by Amorim with Zirkzee's performance against Ipswich, and the reports of INEOS losing faith in the underperforming striker, it would be no surprise to see him be the first departure of Amorim's reign at the club.
It is unlikely he will be the only player to leave Manchester United in the coming months.
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