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Aston Villa in shock transfer link to £35m Man United misfit as Ruben Amorim clears decks
Aston Villa have been linked with a January move for misfit Manchester United striker Joshua Zirkzee.
The 23-year-old Dutchman taken to Old Trafford last summer by Erik ten Hag is now being shown the door by new boss Ruben Amorim, according to the CaughtOffside website.
They write: “Despite scoring just the one goal for United on the opening day of the season, the player is attracting a lot of interest from big European clubs, particularly in Serie A, which is known to be Zirkzee’s preference.”
But they add: “In the unlikely event that Zirkzee wants to continue his footballing education in the Premier League, Aston Villa have thrown their hat into the ring.”
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Zirkzee, a £35m recruit from Bologna in the summer, remains under contract with United until 2029 - and it is unclear whether they are seeking a permanent exit or a loan deal.
Villa already have proven strikers in Ollie Watkins and Jhon Duran, and it is unclear why they would want to recruit another in January. But the versatile Zirkzee could be played in behind a central striker rather than being the focal point of their attack.
SportsMole adds: “A player who does not truly fit the centre-forward role in the Premier League, Zirkzee is seemingly better suited to a deeper attacking position.”
Villa have been hit by a series of injuries this season as they compete on potentially four fronts, but attack has so far been the area with least cause for concern as midfield and Unai Emery’s defence has suffered.
However, as Emery and his backroom team have proved already during their time at Villa Park, they often come up with left-field transfer deals not previously on the radar.
Whether that would include a move for a player like Zirkzee remains to be seen - or if he would be willing to stay in the Premier League.
CaughtOffside “sources” claim Juventus are one of the favourites to land Zirkzee “given his previous relationship at Bologna with Thiago Motta, now the Juve manager”.
They also cite Napoli and both Milan clubs as having an interest too, while adding “Amorim’s former club, Sporting, are thought to be interested in making a move when the time is right.”
