Joshua Zirkzee given Man United escape route as Sir Jim Ratcliffe sent £37m transfer instruction

Juventus has been encouraged to sign Joshua Zirkzee ahead of the January transfer window. The 23-year-old striker, who joined Manchester United from Bologna for £36.5m in the summer, has struggled to impress since touching down at Old Trafford.

Zirkzee has featured eight times for the Red Devils in the Premier League this season, with his only goal coming in a 1-0 win against Fulham on the opening day of the season. The Netherlands international has failed to find the net since, raising questions over his ability.

During the international break, Pabio Di Canio suggested that Zirkzee should return to the Serie A, claiming that he's 'too slow' for the English top-flight. Speaking to Italian publication Tuttosport, the West Ham legend said: "For the Premier League, he [Zirkzee] is a bit too slow.

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"Maybe he will prove me wrong with goals and great performances, but there they attack you straightaway and [referees] whistle 30 per cent less for fouls [than Serie A]. In Italy, we have seen what impact the player had in Bologna."

Di Canio added: "In the end, in the confusion that there is at United, they could also give him on loan. They already have [Rasmus] Hojlund, then there is [Marcus] Rashford who is playing in that position.

"He would be the perfect profile, because that would allow [Juventus head coach, Thiago] Motta to have a striker with different characteristics to [Dusan] Vlahovic. But I would start the negotiations now.

"A loan with maybe the possibility of signing him [permanently]. Zirkzee is not a devastating scorer. He's not one to score 25 goals, but he