Erik ten Hag’s sacking could lead to Joshua Zirkzee’s exit from Manchester United | OneFootball

Manchester United striker Joshua Zirkzee may follow Erik ten Hag out the door, as per reports in Italy.

Ten Hag’s time at United came to a disappointing end, as the Dutchman was formally shown the exit door on Monday on the back of a frustrating defeat at West Ham United.

The outing against the Hammers yet again underlined Ten Hag’s failure to get the best out of the players available to him at Carrington.

Apart from his questionable tactics, the ex-Ajax manager came under fire for his squad building, which saw him add plenty of players with connections to Dutch football. More frustratingly, none of his signings have lived up to expectations so far.

Even this summer’s signings, apart from Noussair Mazraoui, struggled to even start regularly under Ten Hag.

In particular, Zirkzee has received backlash for appearing too slow for the pace and intensity of the Premier League.

The Netherlands international, who left Bologna for the Red Devils, has managed to score just once this term, leading to suggestions of a swift return to Serie A. The idea has seemingly strengthened following Ten Hag’s sacking.

MilanLive.it (via Sport Witness) claim that Ten Hag’s “dismissal leads to his return to Serie A.” The Dutch coach was allegedly “the one who sponsored” Zirkzee’s signing.

AC Milan tried to sign him during the summer transfer window, and Juventus, who are managed by his former Bologna coach Thiago Motta, are expected to make a move for the Dutch striker in January.

It is reported that Juve, who are playing in the Champions League this campaign, are “ready to make an attempt” to sign the Dutchman on a loan deal with the option to buy in January.

However, it remains unclear what United want to do with their €42.5 million signing.

Considering how much emphasis INEOS have put on building a squad for the future at United, it is tough to see them give up on the 23-year-old talent solely due to Ten Hag’s exit.