Roma have reportedly brought Joshua Zirkzee back onto their transfer radar, with the Manchester United forward once again being linked with a return to Serie A.
According to Roma/22-05-2026/calciomercato-roma-torna-nel-mirino-joshua-zirkzee.shtml">La Gazzetta dello Sport, the Italian club believe a deal could be done for around €20m-€25m, which would represent a big drop from the fee United paid to sign him from Bologna in 2024.
Zirkzee’s future at Old Trafford looks far from certain. The Dutch forward has not fully settled into life at Man United, and with the club heading into another important summer under Michael Carrick, there is a real chance some attacking changes could be made.
Man United have already secured Champions League football after finishing strongly, which gives them more pulling power in the market but also raises the level of expectation around the squad.
Zirkzee joined Man United with high expectations
Zirkzee arrived at United with plenty of excitement around him. He had impressed at Bologna, where his technical quality, link-up play and intelligence made him one of Serie A’s most interesting forwards.
United agreed a €42m deal for him in July 2024, seeing him as a player who could compete with Rasmus Hojlund and offer something different in attack.
The issue is that his United spell has never really taken off in the way many expected.
He is clearly talented, but he has not consistently looked like a natural fit for the pace and intensity of the Premier League.
ESPN lists his 2025-26 Premier League numbers at two goals and one assist from five starts and 17 substitute appearances, which tells the story of a player who has mostly been on the edge of the team rather than at the centre of it.
That is why Roma’s interest makes sense. Zirkzee already knows Italian football, and his best club form came in Serie A.
He is not a traditional penalty-box striker, but Roma could use him in a more flexible role, possibly as a left-sided attacking midfielder or second striker.
A move back to Serie A could revive Zirkzee’s career
Gazzetta’s report also suggests that idea, claiming he could operate as a left-sided trequartista if he moved to the Italian capital.
On one hand, taking around €20m-€25m would mean accepting a clear loss on the original transfer fee.
On the other hand, if Carrick does not see him as a major part of his plans, United may decide it is better to move him on and reinvest the money elsewhere.
Roma tried to look at Zirkzee before, with reports from earlier in the season suggesting they were already monitoring his situation closely.
The January move did not happen, partly because United’s managerial situation changed and the club wanted to reassess things, but Roma’s interest has clearly not disappeared.
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