Manchester United returned home with only a point from their visit to Craven Cottage on Sunday, as Fulham held them to a 1-1 draw.
What really hurt the visitors was Ruben Amorim’s inexplicable substitutions in the second half, which seemed to drain away all the momentum.
And after the hosts had equalised, the head coach was expected to go hell for leather in the closing moments of the game.
Instead, he brought on Harry Maguire and Ayden Heaven, while keeping Kobbie Mainoo and Joshua Zirkzee on the bench.
Zirkzee yet to see a single minute this term The Carrington graduate has already been linked with an exit after seeing zero minutes from the opening two games of the Premier League season.
And as per CaughtOffside, the Dutchman is also in similar territory. After a difficult start to life at Old Trafford, the ex-Bologna ace slowly seemed to win over his new boss and the fans last term before injury struck.
He ended up missing the whole of pre-season, but he has been back in the matchday squad for both league games. And both times, Amorim has opted not to bring him on, despite his team chasing the game.
PSV Eindhoven and Napoli have been linked with moves but INEOS are unlikely to sanction a permanent exit. That was expected to be the end of that.
Loan exit on the cards? Not quite as per the report, with the 20-time English league champions being open to a loan exit. This change in stance will suit both clubs just fine.
“The Dutch attacker did not feature in the clubs opening two matches against Arsenal and Fulham. Amorim has publicly insisted that he values Zirkzee as part of his squad.
“But United are not ruling out a loan if it guarantees the striker regular minutes. That stance has encouraged both PSV and Napoli, who are circling as the transfer deadline approaches.
“In Italy, Napoli manager Antonio Conte has identified Zirkzee as his top target following Romelu Lukakus injury setback. Conte admires the Dutchmans composure in front of goal and his ability to operate in different attacking roles.”
Two clubs vying for his signature With Matheus Cunha, and Bryan Mbeumo brought in, there is very little chance of Joshua Zirkzee regularly operating as one of the attacking midfielders.
And following Benjamin Sesko’s arrival, the 24-year-old is not expected to start too many games as the No.9. That effectively means reduced minutes.
Whether INEOS can afford to let him go amid the lack of goals from the new-look front three will be interesting to see in the closing stages of the summer window.
Feature image Stu Forster via Getty Images
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Ayantan Chowdhury Ayantan has worked for 10 years in the Indian sports media industry, writing for the biggest newspapers and websites but his heart was always set on writing about his favourite club. Currently an editor at The Peoples Person. You can follow him on X: @ayantanc_25
