Man Utd 'reject' Joshua Zirkzee transfer approach after Ruben Amorim's vote of confidence

Manchester United have rejected an opening offer for Joshua Zirkzee from a highly-regarded Serie A side, according to a report.

The Netherlands international's future has been a hot-button topic for a number of months, as he is thought to be pushing for an exit from Old Trafford in search of regular game time.

Zirkzee has made an impactful return to the first XI of late, though, starting three straight Premier League games and finding the back of the net in last weekend's 2-1 victory over Crystal Palace.

With Benjamin Sesko still on the sidelines due to a knee injury, Zirkzee is expected to keep his place up front for Monday's visit of Wolverhampton Wanderers, but he will likely be demoted once his Slovenian counterpart returns.

The former Bologna man will likely miss out on a spot in the Netherlands squad for the 2026 World Cup without consistent minutes and output, so a return to Italy for the second half of the campaign has been strongly mooted.

Man Utd 'reject' Roma's opening Joshua Zirkzee offer

Roma are thought to be the current front-runners for Zirkzee's signature, but according to Corriere dello Sport, Man Utd have rebuffed an initial approach from the Giallorossi.

The Serie A side reportedly offered to take the 24-year-old on loan for six months, with an option to make the move permanent if they qualified for next season's Champions League.

The outlet states that Roma are bidding for Man United's 'blessing' for their Zirkzee 'marriage' to be fulfilled, but the terms of the deal did not satisfy the 20-time English champions.

It is not clear exactly what the Red Devils' demands are, but they are likely to push for a permanent sale, or at least an obligation to buy in any loan agreement for Zirkzee.

The former Bayern Munich protege has scored just eight goals and set up three more in 57 games for Man Utd, who have him under contract until the summer of 2029.

Could Joshua Zirkzee still have something to offer to Man Utd?

Rather than place Matheus Cunha or Bryan Mbeumo at the tip of the attack - where both men can operate - Man Utd boss Ruben Amorim has given Zirkzee an unexpected vote of confidence in the Red Devils' last three games.

Even though the 24-year-old did not score in Monday's 1-1 draw with West Ham United, he had an effort cleared off the line and was also praised for his link-up play at the Theatre of Dreams.

Furthermore, Man Utd will soon wave goodbye to two attacking talents for a matter of weeks, as Amad Diallo and Mbeumo are representing Ivory Coast and Cameroon respectively at the Africa Cup of Nations.

The 20-time English champions should therefore not push another offensive player out of the door without bringing in a replacement, which can be notoriously difficult to do during the January window.

Zirkzee's last two displays hint at a revival, but if he is not given assurances over his game time for the second half of the campaign, he is likely to push for an exit regardless.