Erik ten Hag Striker signing told he is ‘never a Manchester United player’ as Juventus open to January move for star -Report

Erik ten Hag Striker signing told he is ‘never a Manchester United player’ as Juventus open to January move for star -Report

After a slow start to his Premier League career, Joshua Zirkzee, one of Erik ten Hag’s summer signings, was told he would “never be a Manchester United player.”

Ten Hag approved Zirkzee’s £36.5 million summer transfer from Bologna, where he signed a five-year deal with United.

Zirkzee played for Italian team Bologna for two seasons, making 58 games and scoring 14 goals, including 11 in Serie A the previous year.

With three caps for the Netherlands, the 23-year-old has had an incredible debut season at Manchester United, scoring the game-winning goal on his debut to assist Ten Hag’s team defeat Fulham on the first day of play.

Zirkzee has offered little since then, however, failing to find the back of the net or provide any assists in his last nine appearances in all competitions.

Manchester United legend Paul Scholes was among those to criticise Zirkzee following Sunday’s goalless draw with Aston Villa, questioning his best position and doubting his ability to be a consistent goalscorer for the Red Devils.

‘In forward areas especially, I just don’t think the quality is there,’ Scholes said after an uneventful clash at Villa Park.

‘We go back to the most successful teams, they’re capable of scoring goals. What have we scored? Five goals in seven games.

‘Now we had three or four forwards who could get you 20 goals so you’re looking at 80 goals a season there and I just don’t see that in the forward line at Manchester United.

‘Look, [Rasmus] Hojlund does alright but is he gonna score you 20 goals? I don’t think so. Zirkzee… what is he? Is he a No.9 or a No.10? Is he going to get you 20 goals? I don’t think so.

‘I think they’re relying more on hope than actual proven quality and they spent so much money as well.’

Ex-Premier League midfielder Craig Burley has also criticised Zirkzee, claiming he is ‘never a Manchester United player’.

Speaking on ESPN, the former Chelsea and Scotland star also urged United to pull the plug on struggling manager Ten Hag during the international break.

The Manchester United board are set to meet up in London this week where conversations over Ten Hag and the team’s lack of progress will undoubtedly be held.

United have just eight points from seven league games and sit 14th following a run which represents the club’s worst-ever start to a Premier League campaign.

‘It wasn’t one of Manchester United’s worst performances. It wasn’t brilliant but it wasn’t one of the worst,’ Burley said after the draw with Aston Villa.

‘That’s the worst-ever start by United in a Premier League season. Erik ten Hag broke his own record from last year.

‘If Ineos don’t make a decision that everyone knows they should make, maybe he’ll get a third chance to break that record again. What is the point?

‘Ten Hag said “that’s another clean sheet”, after losing by the amount of goals they did last week, after conceding the amount of goals they did in Porto, after signing all these players in the summer and leaving them on the bench.

‘Some of the signings have been absolutely horrendous. Hojlund hasn’t worked out obviously, we’ve talked about Zirkzee. My god, he’s never a Man United player. De Ligt has just come in and looks like a shambles.

‘There’s no surviving in this job for Erik ten Hag. So what is the point of kicking the can down the road another couple of weeks or months