Juventus management director Cristiano Giuntoli has refused to rule out the possibility of the Italian club swooping for Manchester United forward Joshua Zirkzee in this month's transfer window.

Zirkzee, who was jeered after being substituted during the first half of United's 2-0 defeat to Newcastle United on Monday evening, has been linked with a return to Italy in recent weeks after struggling to make an impact at Old Trafford.

The Netherlands international joined United from Bologna in July in a deal worth €42.5million and has scored just four goals in 27 matches.

READ MORE: 'Already written' - Paul Pogba sends cryptic message ahead of return and Man United links

READ MORE: Randal Kolo Muani has already told Manchester United what they want to hear amid transfer links

The reaction that greeted head coach Ruben Amorim's decision to withdraw him before half-time against Newcastle was incredibly harsh. A lot of United supporters, however, do not believe Zirkzee is good enough to play for the club.

Juventus have been heavily linked with offering the 23-year-old a route out of Old Trafford, and a loan move has been touted by some Italian newspaper reports. He signed a five-year deal in M16 in the summer.

And Juventus chief Giuntoli has not dismissed the prospect of the Serie A club making a move for him in the coming weeks, offering a relatively coy answer when asked about the ongoing speculation.

As quoted by Football Italia, Giuntoli said: "Zirkzee? It's not appropriate to mention names, but we are keeping an eye on any interesting opportunities, and we will move to strengthen the defence."

Zirkzee spent two seasons at Bologna prior to moving to United, scoring 14 goals in 58 matches. He has also previously spent time with fellow Italian outfit Parma, making four appearances on loan in the 2020/21 season.