Joshua Zirkzee has been told there is ‘no chance’ he will be allowed to leave Manchester United in the January transfer window.
Zirkzee, a £36.5million from Bologna in the summer of 2024, has not started a single Premier League match under Ruben Amorim this season.
The forward has been limited to just 90 minutes of action across five substitute appearances with United’s lack of European football this season severely limiting his game time.
Kobbie Mainoo finds himself in an identical situation, another still to start a Premier League match this term with both players keen to explore a loan move away the transfer window reopens in January.
Both players are desperate for game time to ensure they are part of the England and Netherlands squads heading to the World Cup next summer.
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United are determined to hold onto Mainoo and have relayed a similarly firm message to Zirkzee, telling the Dutchman he is going nowhere, The Sun report.
Roma are among the sides interested in offering the 24-year-old a route back to Italy while West Ham United and Everton have been credited with interest in the Premier League.
But with United set to lose Amad Diallo and Bryan Mbeumo to the Africa Cup of Nations in January, they are not willing to part with any attacking options.
Diallo and Mbeumo will represent Ivory Coast and Cameroon respectively at the competition in the New Year with Noussair Mazraoui also set to join up with Morocco.
Zirkzee could be given chances to force his way back into the side in their absence.
However, Dutch legend Rudd Gullit is keen to see his countryman return to Serie A.
‘I think from my point of view that he should have stayed in Italy, because he was really striving,’ Gullit recently told Metro.
‘He was really doing well at Bologna, and I was hoping that he would go to Milan. I think that as soon as he went to Manchester United, it was the wrong decision.
‘I mean, for a lot of players, moving to Manchester United has been the wrong decision. And whoever leaves them, plays well everywhere around Europe. I just hope that there’s a solution for him.
‘Go back to Italy on loan if you can. Just play football. He’s a good player. But at the moment, it’s difficult at Manchester United. They found a little form in the past couple of weeks, and I hope for Manchester United that they continue that. Because a good Manchester United is good for the Premier League as well.’