Manchester United figures are already having doubts over major summer signing

Manchester United are having serious doubts about summer signing Joshua Zirkzee.

Some senior club figures have concluded striker Zirkzee, who has scored one goal in 17 games, is not good enough four months on from his £36.5million transfer from Bologna.

Zirkzee, 23, was not even named on the bench for the Netherlands in their Nations League win over Georgia last week as United flop Wout Weghorst started up front. Zirkzee started as the No.10 in the Netherlands’ 1-1 draw with Bosnia and Herzegovina on Tuesday night but was replaced by Weghorst in the 77th minute.

United have been in dire goalscoring form this season and have managed a meagre 12 goals in 12 Premier League games. They have a 0 goal difference following the 3-0 defeat of Leicester City.

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Zirkzee has not scored since his debut against Fulham more than three months ago while Rasmus Hojlund has scraped two goals in 12 games. Hojlund has also failed to score in his past 12 matches for Denmark. Club sources concede scrutiny of a striker summer signing is inevitable when they are enduring a drought.

United are expected to be in the market for a dependable goalscorer next year, which would almost certainly require the sale or loan of one of their incumbent forwards. Hojlund has tallied 18 goals in 55 games for United, having netted 27 from 87 matches for previous clubs Atalanta, Sturm Graz and Copenhagen. Zirkzee got 36 goals in 126 games for Bayern Munich, Parma, Anderlecht and Bologna.

Hojlund commanded an up-front fee of £64m rising to £72m in July 2023 after United refused to deal with