Roma Float Swap Package as Zirkzee Edges Towards Serie A Exit

Manchester United appear ready to move Joshua Zirkzee out of Old Trafford this month—but only if they can land another striker to fill the void.

The Dutch forward, signed from Bologna for £36.5m last July under Erik ten Hag's watch, has found himself increasingly sidelined since Ruben Amorim's arrival. Summer reinforcements in attack have pushed him further down the pecking order, leaving the 23-year-old searching for regular minutes.

Roma are pursuing a loan-plus-obligation arrangement to bring Zirkzee to the Stadio Olimpico, and United have signalled they'd entertain such a move—provided they can source a replacement attacker. The Red Devils have already explored the market, having failed to land Antoine Semenyo, and remain actively hunting for forward options.

Zirkzee did start United's recent 1-1 draw with Wolves at the bottom of the table and found the net, yet was surprisingly withdrawn at half-time. That substitution underlined just how far his standing has fallen under Amorim's management.

Now, Roma have reportedly sweetened their proposal with a potential swap deal. Ivory Coast international Evan Ndicka—currently representing his country at the Africa Cup of Nations—has emerged as a possible makeweight in negotiations. The left-sided defender has admirers across Europe, and United have included him on their defensive shopping list, though he remains behind other priority targets.

According to reports, exploratory discussions about Ndicka have already taken place during talks surrounding Zirkzee. While United are primarily focused on summer recruitment for the back line, bringing Ndicka into the equation could accelerate the forward's departure. Should Roma trigger Zirkzee's buyout clause at season's end, United might well push to acquire the defender as part of the arrangement rather than wait until the summer window.