Selling has become just as much of a talking point as buying at Manchester United in recent times, with the Old Trafford side struggling to shift players time and again, as this summer window showcased.
Across the Premier League, United’s rivals appear to be being rewarded for failure, with Chelsea raking in a £50m fee for £30m flop, Liam Delap, the Englishman having only scored one league goal across 2025/26.
It’s an increasingly inflated market, yet United appear to be being left behind, still the only ‘Big Six’ club not to break the £100m barrier in terms of arrivals, while having only really made one significant, first-team sale this summer, in the form of Rasmus Hojlund.
The young Dane should well have been joined back in Serie A by former teammate Joshua Zirkzee, yet the club’s woes in terms of exits will see the Dutchman stick around for a little while longer.
Why Zirkzee has no future under Carrick despite staying put
Zirkzee may have scored on debut back in August 2024, but it shouldn’t be forgotten that he was being linked with a return to Italy as early as January 2025, having failed to really get going in Manchester.
That glancing finish against Fulham remains his high point in a red jersey, and yet here we are, the window having come and gone, with the 25-year-old still part of Michael Carrick’s squad.
Believed to be a popular member of the squad and a bright spark in training, Zirkzee hasn’t ever really translated that into an on-field impact, memorably booed off when hooked in the opening half hour against Newcastle United two seasons ago.
In all, he’s scored just five league goals since his £36.5m arrival from Bologna, his languid, silky style looking so at odds with the rough-and-ready nature of the Premier League.
There were bright sparks across pre-season, including his delightful, composed finish against Rosenborg, as well as his opener against Leeds United, although Zirkzee hasn’t been seen since, remaining an unused substitute in the opening two games of the campaign.
Since Carrick took charge in January, the former Bayern Munich man has only made ten appearances, totalling 127 minutes, his solitary start coming away at the Stadium of Light last term.
Zirkzee vs Sunderland* | |
|---|---|
Stat | Record |
Minutes | 65 |
Touches | 25 |
Shots | 1 |
Ball lost | 9 |
Pass accuracy | 61% |
Carries | 3 |
Key passes | 0 |
Ground duels won | 1/3 |
Aerial duels won | 3/8 |
Distance covered | 6.8km |
Sprints | 12 |
*Only start under Carrick | |
Let’s face it, if it hasn’t happened now, it seemingly isn’t going to, with Carrick and co needing to look to internal solutions instead to bolster the forward line.
Man Utd can look to Carrington to replace Zirkzee
Moves to the likes of Juventus and Fiorentina failed to come to anything heading into deadline day, the former moving for Nick Woltemade, while the latter plumping for Everton’s Beto. Even a switch to Merseyside had looked to be on the cards at one stage.
Perhaps Zirkzee himself simply didn’t want to leave, although any buying club may also have the issue of just how best to use him, the ex-Netherlands international neither a free-scoring striker nor a creative number ten.
He’s only scored nine and assisted four in 75 games for United to date, with Carrick’s opinion on him perhaps made clear by repeatedly overlooking the forward in 2026, even selecting Shea Lacey ahead of him in the latter stages against Hull City.
Maybe Zirkzee could be an understudy to Bruno Fernandes in that almost second striker role, although Lacey or even JJ Gabriel might hope to stake their claim over the coming months.
In Gabriel’s case, the wait is on to see if the 15-year-old will make his senior competitive debut any time soon, having already made a brief cameo in pre-season against Atletico Madrid.
Comfortable on either flank, the teenage wonderkid has been particularly deadly as a number ten or even as a centre-forward in the youth ranks, showcasing such a lethal knack for finishing from range.
Hailed as “one of the best talents” in Man United’s academy, as per Fabrizio Romano, Gabriel ended 2025/26 with 26 goals to his name in just 29 games in all competitions.
A key feature in the club’s FA Youth Cup run, he was also named the U18 Premier League Player of the Year, a remarkable achievement considering he doesn’t even turn 16 until October.
As for 2026/27, two outings for the U21 side in the Premier League 2 have already yielded four goals and assists, a sign that he might well be taking another step closer to first-team involvement.
Of course, there shouldn’t be too much pressure placed on one so young – just look to Alejandro Garnacho – but at a time when Zirkzee is toiling, why not throw Gabriel into the mix instead ahead of him?
There may be concerns over his slight frame and lack of physicality, yet Zirkzee isn’t offering much in that sense either, the Dutchman almost playing the game at a different speed to his teammates. That aforementioned outing on Wearside an obvious case in point.
The ex-Bologna man has had his chance and simply hasn’t taken it, with now the time for United and Carrick to look to the future instead.
Yes, supporters will have ended the window feeling a little low amid the lack of significant additions, but as ever, Carrington might well fill that hole.
