Joshua Zirkzee’s first message after joining Manchester United could come back to bite him if Ian Wright’s claim proves to be correct.
The Dutchman became Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS’ first senior signing in the summer after joining from Bologna for £36.5million. However, the forward he struggled to hit the ground running as United have endured a difficult start to the campaign.
As part of a stuttering attack that all but sealed now-sacked Erik ten Hag’s fate, Zirkzee has mustered just a single goal in 14 games so far this term. Although his signing was filled with hope, it was later claimed that Ten Hag never wanted Zirkzee at Old Trafford in the first place, with his signing driven by the club’s hierarchy.
Zirkzee now has the opportunity to impress a new manager after Ruben Amorim was appointed following Ten Hag’s sacking. But ex-Arsenal star Wright believes the 23-year-old will struggle regardless of who is in charge, which could make his initial message after joining the club look rather awkward.
When Zirkzee sat down with United having penned his deal, which expires in 2029, he admitted that he was eager to approach this new adventure head-on.
“I have a lot of trust and a good feeling about this step,” Zirkzee optimistically stated. “It wasn’t a difficult decision [to move to Man Utd].
“I mean, I love Bologna a lot, but, yeah, Manchester United just gave me a very, very good feeling and [I am] very confident what’s planned will also happen.”
