Joshua Zirkzee has been urged to leave Manchester United this summer after two underwhelming seasons at Old Trafford, with former assistant manager Rene Meulensteen suggesting the Dutch striker has not proven he is 'good enough' to stay.
Struggles at Old Trafford
Zirkzee joined United from Bologna in a £36.5million deal two years ago but has managed only nine goals in 75 appearances. The arrival of Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko last summer pushed him further down the pecking order, and he featured sparingly after Michael Carrick took over in the second half of the season.
That lack of game time saw the 25-year-old omitted from the Netherlands squad for the World Cup, and he is now linked with a move away in search of regular minutes.
Meulensteen's advice
'I've heard a rumour that he might be moving to Juventus, and I thought that would be a good move for him,' Meulensteen told talkSPORT. 'It's been evident that he hasn't been a regular starter; he's been a bit of a bit-part player.'
'I don't think he has shown he is good enough to warrant being a starter for the coming season, especially with Sesko who has done so well under Michael.'
Juventus interest
Juventus are frontrunners and want to sign Zirkzee on a season-long loan with an option to make the move permanent next summer. United, however, would prefer a permanent sale but would need to replace the striker before the end of the transfer window.
Rashford's future
While Zirkzee appears destined for the exit, Meulensteen insisted he would like to see Marcus Rashford given a second chance under Carrick. Rashford was poised to make a permanent switch to Barcelona but is now heading back to Manchester after the Catalan giants opted to pursue a move for Anthony Gordon instead.
Rashford has interest from Turkey, but Meulensteen believes the 28-year-old can still offer plenty to his boyhood club.
'I've always been in support of Marcus, because I know where he's come from,' he said. 'As a young player, he came through the ranks, and those players that come through the ranks, they carry a special Manchester United DNA.'
'What has happened with Marcus is an interesting one. Did he lose the love for the club, or did he lose the love of the manager that he was working for at that particular time?'
'I think that just needs a very good conversation between Michael and Marcus, because I'm sure that Michael rates Marcus as a player, and he can still make a difference.'
'If that is the case, and again, if they are aligned in terms of how they can best use Marcus, then there is an opportunity he could still stay. I can't see why not.'
Meulensteen continued: 'There will be people saying he has to move on because he's moved away, and there may be a little bit of feeling left that they're not too happy about.'
'But if Marcus comes in, he performs, he scores a few important goals, then everybody jumps on the bandwagon again.'
