Joshua Zirkzee scored on his Man United debut and that remains his only goal after 17 appearances for the club.
Zirkzee has got one goal in 17 games
Manchester United are having serious doubts about summer signing Joshua Zirkzee.
Some senior club figures have concluded striker Zirkzee, who has scored one goal in 17 games, is not good enough four months on from his £36.5million transfer from Bologna.
Zirkzee, 23, was not even named on the bench for the Netherlands in their Nations League win over Georgia last week as United flop Wout Weghorst started up front. Zirkzee started as the No.10 in the Netherlands’ 1-1 draw with Bosnia and Herzegovina on Tuesday night but was replaced by Weghorst in the 77th minute.
United have been in dire goalscoring form this season and have managed a meagre 12 goals in 12 Premier League games. They have a 0 goal difference following the 3-0 defeat of Leicester City.
Zirkzee has not scored since his debut against Fulham more than three months ago while Rasmus Hojlund has scraped two goals in 12 games. Hojlund has also failed to score in his past 12 matches for Denmark. Club sources concede scrutiny of a striker summer signing is inevitable when they are enduring a drought.
United are expected to be in the market for a dependable goalscorer next year, which would almost certainly require the sale or loan of one of their incumbent forwards. Hojlund has tallied 18 goals in 55 games for United, having netted 27 from 87 matches for previous clubs Atalanta, Sturm Graz and Copenhagen. Zirkzee got 36 goals in 126 games for Bayern Munich, Parma, Anderlecht and Bologna. Hojlund commanded an up-front fee of £64m rising to £72m in July 2023 after United refused to deal with Tottenham Hotspur chairman Daniel Levy amid then-manager Erik Ten Hag’s desire to sign Harry Kane, who had entered the final year of his contract. The failure to recruit a proven goalscorer contributed to United ending the 2023-24 Premier League season in eighth and with a -1 goal difference.
Zirkzee has lined up in two of United’s past nine matches - against Fenerbahce in the Europa League and Leicester in the League Cup. His last league start was in the 3-0 home humbling by Tottenham on September 29.
Former United caretaker manager Ruud van Nistelrooy said earlier this month the squad lacked a consistent goalscorer. "Yeah, I agree that when you want to be a successful side in the Premier League and in Europe - and that is what the build is all about - you're going to need a certain amount of goals.
"That is clear, that is the effects in football. And that's why the best teams in the world have those players."
Alejandro Garnacho is United’s top scorer this term with seven goals, followed by Christian Eriksen, Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford on four. Rashford is without a goal in eight games and appeared to play as the striker in new head coach Ruben Amorim’s maiden team training session on Monday as United prepare to switch to a 3-4-3 formation.
Amorim’s preference is for the striker to stay high, which jars with Zirkzee’s tendency to drop deep. Sweden international Viktor Gyokeres plundered 23 goals in 16 games for Sporting under Amorim this season and has a £63m release clause in the summer.
