Big-money Ashworth signing exempt from Man Utd January sale amid mass Amorim clearout claims

Joshua Zirkzee will not be offloaded by Manchester United in January an Italian agent has claimed, insisting speculation he will be shown the door is inaccurate and in spite of strong reports that a mass clearout is being planned by Ruben Amorim.

The Portuguese coach has overseen five matches since stepping into the hot-seat vacated by Erik ten Hag, and while he managed two wins and a draw from his first three games in charge, successive defeats to Arsenal and Nottingham Forest have only served as a reminder as to the huge rebuilding job required at Old Trafford. Indeed, Manchester United currently sit 13th in the Premier League – as close to the relegation zone, points-wise, as they are the top three.

With Amorim eager to put his mark on the club and having altered their system to his preferred 3-4-2-1 formation, a report on Wednesday has revealed that a wholesale squad rebuild is set to get underway with several top names put up for sale and with only a handful of players considered safe from being sold.

Speculation in recent weeks has suggested Zirkzee is one name right at the top of the list of potential departures. The Dutchman arrived in a £36.5m move from Bologna over the summer but has struggled to adapt to the rigours of the Premier League while it was also speculated that his signing was wholly at the insistence of now-departed sporting director Dan Ashworth and that Ten Hag was opposed to his transfer.

However, the player’s agent insists that speculation linking Zirkzee to Napoli is wide of the mark and claims he has it on good authority that the 23-year-old is exempt from a January exit.

“I can exclude a transfer of Zirkzee to Napoli in January. Players at this level hardly move when the league is underway,” Vincenzo Morabito, an Italian agent and intermediary said in an interview with Radio Marte.

“The Dutchman has just arrived at United and his difficulties in tactical adaptation are normal at this stage. In Italian football, when a player isn’t used to certain game systems, it is normal that he may encounter some initial difficulties.

“As for Zirkzee, Manchester United have no intention of selling him, not even on loan. They would still have to replace him, and this would involve a further investment to replace him in the squad.”

READ MORE: Dan Ashworth exit at Man Utd blamed on double transfer blunder with Ratcliffe left ‘infuriated’

Amorim’s early assessment of Zirkzee revealed

Morabito’s assessment of the situation largely tallies with what sources have told TEAMtalk. We understand that while United are not prepared to turn their back fully on the player, a January loan deal has not been ruled out if a tempting opportunity came their way.

Considered behind both Rasmus Hojlund and Marcus Rashford in the pecking order, Zirkzee has at least scored two goals in four appearances since the Portuguese’s appointment as manager.

Nonetheless, we have been told there is a sense of United trying to make the Zirkzee signing work, particularly as they splashed out a considerable sum for him and his contract runs until 2029, with the option of another year.

The striker himself enjoyed his best day in a United shirt by some distance last month when he scored twice in a 4-0 win over Everton.

Reflecting on that afternoon, Zirkzee said: “I felt comfortable in the role I was in.

“Of course, the goals help as well for a striker, but yeah, we all came out with the confidence that we were going to win this game. The longer it takes before you get back on the scoresheet, the more frustrating it gets for you as a player, but I have some great team-mates, who always kept my head up.

“They helped me a lot during that time as well. Today they were happy for me as well.”

Latest Man Utd transfer news: Only three safe; Ashworth row continues

With speculation doing the round that a mass clearout is being planned at Old Trafford, a report on Wednesday morning claimed that only three players would be totally exempt from being sold, with Kobbie Mainoo, Alejandro Garnarcho and Amad Diallo the trio in question.

With just Mainoo, Amad and Garnacho ringfenced, high-profile stars such as Andre Onana, Lisandro Martinez, Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford are seemingly available for the right price.

Indeed, the report added Man Utd ‘are open to offers for virtually every other player (beyond Mainoo, Amad and Garnacho) to help stay on the right side of PSR rules.’

Elsewhere, the row over Ashworth’s departure continues to cause ructions with Sir Alex Ferguson’s former No.2 Rene Meulensteen the latest to have his say.

And the Dutchman has revealed he believes Ashworth was forced out after an Old Trafford power-struggle, while Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s confused running of the club has also been strongly criticised.

On the incomings front, United are reported to have edged closer to a first signing of the Amorim era with a deal for 17-year-old left-back, Diego Leon, quickly taking shape and with Fabrizio Romano providing the lowdown over how the Red Devils have beaten Arsenal to a deal.

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