Erik ten Hag was left fuming with summer signing Joshua Zirkzee after he arrived at Old Trafford ‘a stone overweight’.
The now former Manchester United manager made a habit of signing a series of Dutch compatriots and players from the Eredivisie during his tenure, with limited success.
It has emerged, however, he was never sold on the idea of Zirkzee joining in the summer from Bologna for a fee of £36.5 million.
According to The Sun, United’s new Ineos decision makers were the driving force behind recruiting the 23-year-old, believing he represented a value for money signing with a high ceiling.
The jury is very much still out on Zirkzee following a difficult start to his United career during which he has scored just once in 10 Premier League appearances.
Zirkzee got off to the best possible start when he scored United’s late winner against Fulham on the opening night of the campaign, but has found the going tough ever since.
The Sun claims Ten Hag was unhappy with the condition the player was in when he arrived during the close season and his disappointed was accentuated given he wasn’t sold on signing the player in the first place.
Whether Ten Hag’s incoming replacement, Ruben Amorim, can find space for Zirkzee in his forward line remains to be seen.
Goals have been in short supply for the Red Devils all round this season so it no surprise the club have been linked with a move for Sporting Lisbon’s scoring sensation Viktor Gyokeres.
The Sweden international has thrived in Portugal under Amorim’s tutelage and is currently one of the most coveted strikers in European football.
‘Going with Amorim to Manchester United? I don’t know,’ Gyokeres replied when asked about the possibility of joining Amorim following his man-of-the-match display against Estrela last week.
‘I’m here. As you can see, I enjoy it at Sporting.
‘It’s nothing I really think about. I’m sad about him [Amorim] leaving. We wish him all the best.’
Recent reports indicated Gyokeres could be free to leave Sporting for a fee of between £50-58million in the January transfer window.
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