Barcelona have an option to purchase Marcus Rashford for £26m – and the forward has made it clear he does not want to return to Manchester United

Manchester United have told Barcelona that they will not re-negotiate Marcus Rashford’s fee.

Rashford is on a season-long loan at the Spanish giants, who have the option to buy him for £26million at the end of the campaign. And according to the Daily Mail, United are said to be puzzled by speculation they are prepared to negotiate the fee.

The report also claims that Barca must pay the agreed figure in full, and United hope that selling Rashford and wiping his salary off the wage bill will contribute to some significant savings this summer.

The forward has largely impressed at Spotify Camp Nou, scoring 10 goals and claiming 13 assists in 34 games.

Rashford has not played for United since December 2024 and lost his ‘10’ squad number to Matheus Cunha under former coach Ruben Amorim during the summer.

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Before that Amorim said he would rather name his 63-year-old goalkeeping coach as a substitute than a player who does not give his all, in response to a question about Rashford.

The forward spent the second-half of last season on loan at Aston Villa and was forced to train at a separate time from United’s first-team players in the summer before he joined Hansi Flick’s side.

Although Rashford has made clear that he wants to join Barca permanently in the summer, Flick revealed last month that the forward’s long-term future with the Spanish giants remains uncertain.

“(Sporting director) Deco and I always speak about our team and what we can do,” the German said when quizzed about Rashford.

“Marcus’ performances have been really good until now, but we have to manage it. It’s Deco’s job and the club’s job to work on next season so we have to wait.

“We still have plenty more time, there are many months, many days, many weeks ahead of us, and that’s how it is.”

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Man Utd have got recruitment wrong too often in recent years, but things are looking up after one deal in particular in the summer.

Robin van Persie’s heroics for Manchester United in his first season at Old Trafford won the club its last Premier League title. Bryan Mbeumo’s efforts might only be good enough for a return to the Champions League, but that doesn’t make his start to life at the club any less impactful.

A major reason United have gone 13 years without a Premier League title is their recruitment. It has been consistently underwhelming and has often lacked a clear, long-term strategy. One minute, there is a focus on superstars; the next, the plan is to target young domestic players.

Really, United should be just focusing on signing the best players available to strengthen their squad. Adding youth and bringing in players with their best years ahead of them is always ideal, with Senne Lammens a good example, but there also needs to be arrivals who can hit the ground running.

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That is exactly what Mbeumo has done. The £65million summer signing from Brentford is in the running for the club’s player of the year award, and is only likely to be denied that honour due to the brilliance of Bruno Fernandes.

Mbeumo is certainly United’s best signing since Fernandes, who joined from Sporting for an initial £47million in January 2020. Between them, they are leading the charge to get the club back in the Champions League.

The Cameroon international’s return of 10 goals in 22 games is impressive and even more eye-catching is who he has scored against. He has scored home and away against Tottenham and netted against Manchester City, Liverpool and Arsenal. More than half of his Premier League goals for United have been against their ‘big six’ rivals.

In the process, he became the first United player to score against City, Liverpool and Arsenal in his first season at the club since 2012/13. He is the first player to do it at any point in their United career since Marcus Rashford three seasons ago.

It’s difficult to understate Mbeumo’s impact. He is a versatile forward who has played as a No. 9 under Michael Carrick, as a No. 10 under Ruben Amorim, and on either wing, as he may do if Benjamin Sesko returns to the side. Whatever position he plays, he is delivering.

This should now be the template for United transfers. Ineos put a rather ambitious target of winning the league by 2028, and it’s pretty clear United look short of that at the moment.

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The good news is that there is suddenly no outstanding club to catch. The days of Manchester City and Liverpool racking up points totals in the high 90s are over and don’t look like returning any time soon.

City are in transition, and Pep Guardiola could depart this summer, which would only add to the unpredictability at the Etihad. Liverpool are in a similar situation under Arne Slot. Arsenal could end their long title drought this season, but under Mikel Arteta, they aren’t in the same league as City and Liverpool were at their peak.

United still have significant improvements to make, however. But in Mbeumo, they have an idea of what their new signings should be able to achieve.

The 26-year-old has helped to transform the attack this season. This summer, the focus will turn to midfield. In trying to replace Casemiro and bring in two new midfielders, United need players who can make the same kind of immediate impact.

That is the only way they are going to achieve that ambition of winning the league, whether it takes two years or a little longer. Recruitment is the most important aspect of achieving success in football, and while United have got it wrong for years, there is an obvious example now of how they can get it right.

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Former Manchester United coach Rene Meulensteen has encouraged the club to pursue a possible move for Sandro Tonali in the summer transfer window.

The Red Devils prioritised overhauling their misfiring attack last summer, with Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko arriving through the doors at Old Trafford for a combined fee of around £200million.

Club bosses had also been keen to bring in a deep-lying midfielder to suit Ruben Amorim’s much-maligned 3-4-3 system, reportedly identifying Adam Wharton, Elliot Anderson and Carlos Baleba as potential targets.

Brighton have since confirmed United’s interest in Baleba on the back of an exceptional season for the 22-year-old Cameroon international last term at the Amex Stadium.

But according to Brighton CEO Tony Bloom, United simply ‘went away’ when informed that Baleba would not be sold unless an astronomical fee was offered for the former Lille man.

Despite Amorim’s departure as head coach, United remain in the market for a midfielder in the mold of Baleba – and the likes of Joao Gomes and Ruben Neves were also linked over the course the January transfer window.

If it were up to Meulensteen, though, Newcastle duo Tonali and Joelinton should both be on United’s radar as options who ‘could fit the bill’ at the Theatre of Dreams.

Widespread reports claimed Arsenal made an approach for Tonali following an injury to Mikel Merino last month, but Newcastle made it clear the Italian was not for sale. It’s understood the Magpies have since slapped an asking price of £100m on their prized possession.

‘Sandro Tonali is a good player and he’s done really well for Newcastle,’ Meulensteen told BetGoat.

‘The rumours I heard were that he possibly wanted to go back to Italy, but he’s definitely a good player who understands how to play that role in midfield and he’s a good passer of the ball.

‘Manchester United definitely need to look into that position and what they need, I think they could look at Joelinton in that position. He obviously came there as a forward and Eddie Howe has dropped him and turned him into this massive motor in midfield.

‘He is a great player that has been learning from Bruno Guimaraes who is a leader, a strong character, a winner.

‘He’s possibly hard to get, but he could all fit the bill in my opinion.

‘Having said that, so does Adam Wharton because he’s so good at playing forward and that is exactly what the forwards would thrive on at Manchester United. Elliot Anderson again, great.’

But while Meulensteen recognises United’s apparent weakness at the base of the midfield, he is also wary about forcing Kobbie Mainoo out of the side again – as was the case under Michael Carrick’s predecessor Amorim.

‘There are so many, there’s plenty out there,’ Meulensteen, one of Sir Alex Ferguson’s most trusted lieutenants, added.

‘But you wouldn’t want to bring too many in because you don’t want Kobbie Mainoo to end up back on the bench again.

‘He’s proven in those games that Michael Carrick has played him and he has all the right to keep playing and improving because you’ve got an outstanding player there.’

After the incessant rumours linking him with Arsenal towards the end of January, Tonali appeared to reaffirm his commitment to Newcastle with his animated goal celebration in the side’s FA Cup win over Aston Villa on Saturday.

Tonali, who scored twice in a 3-1 victory at Villa Park, later explained: ‘The first one, this celebration was, I think, seven months without scoring; if you don’t score for seven months, after the first goal, you celebrate for 10 or 11 goals – like Bruno [Guimaraes]!

‘But after the second goal, I came to Eddie [Howe] because in the past few weeks, people spoke about our relationship, but I work every day with the gaffer, the gaffer works every day with me, and our relationship is perfect. It’s not broken and I think this is perfect for the team.

‘We try to do the best for this team, every game, because we play a lot of games – every three days, we play, and we have to be concentrated every time in the training ground to do the best for our team.’

Tonali has made 96 appearances in all competitions across his three-year spell with Newcastle and got his hands on some silverware last season as Howe’s men lifted the Carabao Cup.

A ten-month ban – after Tonali was found to have breached Italian betting regulations – meant the midfielder played just eight league games in the debut season at St James’ Park.

Tonali’s current contract with the Toon runs through to June 2028, with the option of a further 12 months.

Manchester United are set for another busy summer transfer window with a number of areas of the squad in need of reinforcements.

Manchester United haven’t been shy in splashing the cash in the transfer market in recent years. The Reds have been guilty of not implementing a proper recruitment strategy and have often paid way over the odds for players.

United were wrong to back Erik ten Hag in the 2024 summer transfer window, only to sack him a few months later, and while they made some solid additions during Ruben Amorim’s time at the club, there are still plenty of issues that need addressing.

There will be money to spend this summer but United may well want to utilise the free agent market as they look to work within their budget. There are a couple of players who could strengthen the squad without the need to break the bank.

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The first option available to the Reds is Bayern Munich midfielder Leon Goretzka. The 31-year-old has been at Bayern for eight years and has enjoyed a trophy-laden spell with the German giants. Goretzka has regained his spot in the national team squad and looks certain to be on the plane to the World Cup this summer.

Recently, Goretzka has been pushed to the fringes of the Bayern squad after announcing his intention to leave the club. Given an opportunity at the weekend, he scored in a 3-0 victory over Werder Bremen.

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If United were to sign Goretzka, he would not be a direct replacement for Casemiro. While the Brazil international breaks up play and wins the ball back better than anyone in the United squad, Goretzka focuses more on driving play upfield. That being said, he has experience playing as a defensive midfielder, so he has that highly desired quality of versatility that the Reds will need if they return to European football next season.

With Adam Wharton and Carlos Baleba, both valued at around £100m, on United’s radar, Goretzka could be an alternative option should United want to sign a midfielder with more experience before pursuing younger targets in the years to come, once the likes of Wharton and Baleba have gained more Premier League experience.

The other free option United should be looking at is Dusan Vlahovic. His time at Juventus hasn’t gone to plan. That being said, he has scored a goal every 2.5 games for the Italian giants, having spent a lot of time on the bench.

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What will impress United is Vlahovic’s form in the Champions League in recent seasons. In the last two campaigns, the forward has scored seven goals in 13 appearances in the competition, including goals against Manchester City and Borussia Dortmund.

Vlahovic has a similar profile to Benjamin Sesko but at 26 has a bit more experience. Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee will likely both leave in the summer, so bringing in a player who can provide competition for Sesko is essential.

United could lose a lot of experience in the dressing room this summer and so two players who have played at the top and wouldn’t command a transfer fee could look very attractive.

Manchester United will be focusing on their midfield in the summer transfer window as Casemiro prepares to leave at the end of his contract.

Manchester United are set for yet another busy summer transfer window, whether they qualify for the Champions League or not. United will have money to spend as they look to overhaul their midfield department, and the departures of Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho should add to the coffers

Changes in midfield were on the cards even before Casemiro announced he would be leaving at the end of the season. Despite regressing during his second and third seasons at Old Trafford, the Brazil international’s displays this season have been integral in United’s push for Champions League football.

United know they cannot afford to promote Manuel Ugarte. The Uruguayan has struggled to adapt to life in the Premier League and this season has shown how fragile United look when Casemiro is not holding down the midfield – whether that be next to Kobbie Mainoo or Bruno Fernandes.

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United need to ensure their transfer plan is set ahead of the summer window. Back in November, sporting director Jason Wilcox gave an insight into the club’s plans.

“Last year’s summer window [2024] was a lot more chaotic than this one and this one was really calm,” he explained. “With this one, we knew the plan, we knew which players we were going to target, we had our lists, we knew which areas of the pitch we needed to improve.

“This year, we looked at Premier League-ready players and certainly with Bryan [Mbeumo] and Matheus [Cunha], we couldn’t take too much risk in this area. We needed players that we could plug in and play with little transition time.”

United know they cannot afford to get their next big midfield signing wrong, and so the safe option would be to once again look at Premier League-proven players.

Carlos Baleba was monitored by United in the summer, but having been quoted more than £100m for the Cameroon international, the Reds decided to keep their powder dry. That decision is looking smarter by the day.

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Baleba has struggled on the south coast and his difficult campaign took another turn for the worse on Wednesday night when he was taken off after just 22 minutes at Aston Villa. Fabian Hurzeler insisted the substitution was made to protect his midfielder after he was booked just two minutes into the game.

Even if that is the case, such an early substitution sums up what has been a disappointing 2025/26 for Baleba and should put United off signing him in the summer. So who could the Reds turn to instead?

Elliot Anderson and Adam Wharton have both been linked but neither would be a perfect fit to replace the qualities Casemiro brings. Sandro Tonali is also admired by the Reds, but if you were to sign a midfielder from Newcastle, you would rather it was Bruno Guimaraes – and that seems a very unlikely move.

With realistic options in the Premier League thin on the ground, United might need to ignore Wilcox’s policy of finding a ‘plug in and play’ star and take a risk instead. The Reds realistically need to cast their net wider, which could mean dipping into the overseas market.

The World Cup almost guarantees players who were not on the radar of most clubs will put themselves in the shop window. But United will be wary of paying a ‘World Cup tax’ for a player who might not be a long-term solution.

In an ideal world, the Reds would have hoped Baleba would impress this season so they could go back in for him. But as the season goes on, that transfer route is looking even more of a gamble – especially at the price previously quoted.

Manchester United are leaning towards making an external managerial appointment despite Michael Carrick’s impressive return to Old Trafford.

United have taken 13 points out of a possible 15 since Carrick was appointed caretaker manager last month, winning four games in a row before Tuesday’s 1-1 draw with West Ham.

Manchester United were sixth in the Premier League when they decided to pull the plug on former boss Ruben Amorim, who had a disappointing 14-month reign.

While that represented a marked improvement on a team that finished 15th last season, United were still struggling for consistency, exiting both domestic cup competitions at the earliest possible stage.

It was not only underwhelming performances that cost Amorim his job but also his public criticism of those above him at Old Trafford in the days leading to his sacking.

Champions League qualification appeared unlikely at the time of Amorim’s departure but Carrick has taken the Red Devils back into the top-four.

Carrick’s tenure as caretaker manager started with impressive wins over title rivals Manchester City and Arsenal, before United beat Fulham and Tottenham.

Manchester United were not at their best against West Ham but Benjamin Sesko’s injury-time equaliser maintained Carrick’s unbeaten record.

Carrick’s return to Old Trafford was initially only expected to be temporary, with United always planning to make a permanent appointment at the end of the season.

But United’s brilliant form under the ex-midfielder has led to calls for Carrick to be named as Amorim’s full-time replacement.

England legend Wayne Rooney, for example, has suggested Carrick will become ‘impossible’ to ignore if United’s current form continues until the end of the season.

But according to Sky Sports, Manchester United are not accelerating their plans to appoint a new manager and still do not view Carrick as the favourite for the job.

The likes of Thomas Tuchel, Carlo Ancelotti, Mauricio Pochettino, Oliver Glasner, Luis Enrique and Roberto De Zerbi have all been linked with United since Amorim’s sacking.

The Manchester Evening News claim England boss Tuchel is emerging as the ‘preferred choice’ of Old Trafford decision-makers.

Tuchel took charge of the Three Lions last year but is only contracted to England until after this summer’s World Cup, meaning he will likely be available come July.

Before becoming England manager, Tuchel had spells at Bayern Munich, PSG, Borussia Dortmund and Chelsea, where he won the Champions League and Club World Cup.

While much could change before the end of the season, overlooking Carrick would be fairly surprising as he already appears to have the backing of the United squad.

Captain Bruno Fernandes has repeatedly praised the former England midfielder since he took over and goalkeeper Senne Lammens followed suit after the West Ham draw.

‘We can be happy with the first five games with him as a coach,’ Amorim’s £18m summer signing said.

Gary Neville reveals Man Utd’s ‘official position’ on manager search

‘I actually spoke to the club, because ultimately the club get asked all the time from journalists and broadcasters, what’s the position of the club.

‘It’s a very difficult situation, you’ve got a massive movement now with what’s happened towards giving Carrick the job, saying that really he should be considered.

‘That’s only going to build the more that he wins and the more that he gets closer to Champions League football. I asked the club what is the official position of the football club in terms of what you’re saying publicly to everybody else.

‘I have to say I thought their answer was pretty good. They said they’ve actually begun the process now, starting to look for another manager, which I thought right.

‘It’s a very difficult situation, you’ve got a massive movement now with what’s happened towards giving Carrick the job, saying that really he should be considered.

‘That’s only going to build the more that he wins and the more that he gets closer to Champions League football. That’s good to hear because you need to plan for everything.

‘They’ve started the process of speaking to and looking at other managers, building all the sorts of data and analysing who should be the next manager of the football club.

‘But what they’ve said is they’re not going to be bounced into – irrespective of wins or draws or losses on the pitch in this next couple of months – making an appointment.

‘They’re going to wait until towards the end of the season.’

Gary Neville speaking on his Sky Sports podcast

‘The West Ham result was a little bit disappointing because we wanted to continue winning and now, being two weeks without a game, we wanted to go in that period with a good feeling.

‘But it’s a little bit less bad because we scored at the end. One of his [Carrick’s] strong suits is communication, being clear about what he wants. We knew what we had to do and executed the plan.

‘Man City and Arsenal were different kinds of games because we didn’t really have to make it ourselves.

‘It was more about being compact, playing from the counter and creating chances, which is one of our strong suits. We know we can do well against those teams.

‘Against Fulham and Tottenham we had to play more of our game. It was not always the prettiest, but the result was there, which is the most important thing, and something we haven’t really done all season.’

Due to being knocked out of the FA Cup by Brighton, Manchester United have almost two weeks off before they return to Premier League action on February 23 against Everton.

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Kobbie Mainoo was heavily linked with a January move to Napoli and several Premier League clubs before Michael Carrick’s arrival changed his situation at Manchester United.

Manchester United’s reported consideration of loaning out Kobbie Mainoo for the rest of the season is claimed to have left several Premier League clubs, and Napoli, in disbelief. Mainoo endured a difficult first few months of the season under former head coach Ruben Amorim and was not trusted with a single Premier League start before the Portuguese’s departure in December.

At one stage, Mainoo looked in danger of heading out on loan, before interim head coach Michael Carrick took over. Napoli were keen to secure the 21‑year‑old on a temporary deal for the remainder of the season, while the midfielder also attracted interest from Tottenham, Aston Villa and Everton.

Scott McTominay and Rasmus Hojlund both moved to Napoli – McTominay permanently and Hojlund on loan – and the pair have been rejuvenated since leaving Old Trafford. Napoli boss Antonio Conte was eager to bring in another United player following their success.

According to The Telegraph, there was “genuine disbelief” in Naples that United were even contemplating letting Mainoo go. Similar feelings were reportedly shared by “many Premier League clubs” who were interested in taking the youngster on loan.

During Amorim’s time in charge, the 41‑year‑old often spoke about wanting players to “stay and fight” rather than walk away at the first sign of adversity – criticising what he saw as an “entitlement” culture among some academy players.

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He had also highlighted Casemiro as an example of a player who shifted his mindset and fought his way back into the team, saying: “When I see Casemiro training, if everyone trains like him, if everyone is so focused on the detail, even in training, in set-pieces training, even when they are playing ten versus goalkeeper, and the movements that he made, imagining the game, we will be a top team.

“If everyone works like Casemiro, and when I say work it’s not just running, it’s that focus. You can understand why that guy won five Champions Leagues, because if you pay attention to everything that he does with contract, with no contract, he’s top player.”

This was a message widely interpreted as another pointed reference to Mainoo.

The Mirror also reported that, as a result of Carrick’s arrival, Mainoo was told he would be part of the plans for the remainder of the season.

That came with a clear instruction to focus on re‑establishing himself at his boyhood club, while proving Amorim had been wrong to overlook him.

Under Carrick, Mainoo has started against Manchester City, Arsenal, Fulham and Tottenham.

He is also in contention to start their match at relegation-threatened West Ham on Tuesday evening (8pm).

Chelsea star Cole Palmer scored a hat-trick against Wolves and has spoken about transfer speculation linking him with Manchester United.

Manchester United-linked Chelsea star Cole Palmer has dismissed speculation linking him with a departure from the club, after the Blues’ talisman netted a first-half hat-trick against Wolves.

The England international bagged all of Chelsea’s goals in the 3-1 victory at Molineux. His opening two strikes came from the penalty spot, as the Blues maintained their impressive form under Liam Rosenior.

After converting his first spot-kick, Palmer abandoned his trademark ‘cold’ celebration and instead charged towards the away end with his hands covering his ears, before blowing a kiss to the Chelsea supporters.

The gesture follows claims that he was experiencing homesickness and was prepared to return to Manchester with boyhood club Manchester United.

However, Palmer now seems to have dismissed those rumours. Speaking to BBC Match of the Day following the victory, he said:

“Everyone loves to chat rubbish, don’t they? I don’t pay too much attention to it,” Palmer said, when asked about his celebration. “You see things. But I feel like I’ve come from a strong place anyway so I don’t pay attention to it.”

The midfielder also heaped praise on new manager Rosenior. “Life under Liam is amazing, he gives us all confidence,” he said.

“Lets us be ourselves, play free. I’m sure when I’m back proper fit you’ll see the best of me. Him and all the staff give us all confidence on the training pitch, with his strategies, the way we play… I really like it.”

Palmer’s season has been marred by injury, with England star sitting out 21 matches in all competitions this campaign. However, he has played in the last four games across all competitions, starting the most recent two Premier League fixtures.

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He made a significant revelation about his fitness. “I don’t think [I’m 100% fit] just yet,” he admitted.

“Obviously people don’t know what goes on behind the scenes but being injured the whole season is not ideal and when I’m not able to perform as I want to because I’ve been injured, and still dealing with the injury, but hopefully I can get over the injury soon by managing it. I know what level I can provide when I feel 100% fit.

“Not being 100% fit isn’t ideal, I still feel like I can help the team but when I’m back to full fitness I feel like I can go to another level.”

Speaking to the Chelsea website, Palmer added: “I’ve never been injured before in my career. This is something new to me, and I’m still finding out how to deal with it.

“It has been frustrating, I don’t feel like I’ve played a game this season fully fit. I’ve been going into games thinking, ‘Can I do certain things? Can I not?’ Overthinking it.

“The staff have been really good. I’ve been working closely with the physios on a day-to-day basis. They have all helped, and I’ll get through it.

“I’m not here to make excuses, and ”ll get over the injuries. I know what I can do when I’m fit, and hopefully I can get back to that soon. For now, I just manage it and get there.”

One Manchester United player has been told why his move to Old Trafford was a ‘mistake’, as transfer speculation continues to surround him even after the January transfer window shut

Joshua Zirkzee has been told why leaving Manchester United may be the best move for his career.

Zirkzee’s future has been the subject of intense speculation since the start of the season, but the striker has remained at Old Trafford despite two transfer windows passing by.

United signed Zirkzee from Bologna in the summer of 2024 and was one of the final signings of Erik ten Hag’s tenure at Old Trafford.

The Netherlands international has scored two goals across 16 appearances across all competitions for United this season, and has just nine goals to his name since moving to Manchester 18 months ago.

Zirkzee found regular appearances difficult to come by during Ruben Amorim’s tenure as United head coach, and has yet to feature in any of the three matches since Michael Carrick was appointed on an interim basis until the end of the season.

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United were without Zirkzee due to injury for the wins over Manchester City and Arsenal, but the striker did make a return for the victory over Fulham, where he was an unused substitute.

Even though Zirkzee did not feature in United’s dramatic 3-2 win over Fulham last weekend, the striker was the first player to congratulate winning goalscorer Benjamin Sesko after the final whistle, as his instant reaction showed his true character in how he was delighted for his team-mate.

Zirkzee’s last goal for United came in a draw over Wolves at the end of December, and the last few months have seen persistent links claiming that the 24-year-old could be heading for the exit door in the near future.

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Amid the speculation, former Chelsea and AC Milan star Ruud Gullit has urged Zirkzee to consider a United exit and return to Italy.

“Joshua Zirkzee made a mistake moving to Manchester United – he should have stayed in Italy,” Gullit told Gambling Insider.

“When he left Bologna, he should have gone to Juventus or AC Milan and stayed in Serie A. He arrived at United when there was a lot of bad energy around the club. It was the wrong time for him.

“There have been rumours that he could now leave United and go to Roma in the summer. I hope he makes that move, or at least join another club in Italy, because it is a much more suitable league for him.”

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