Return to Italy? 

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Manchester United head coach Rúben Amorim made a point of praising Joshua Zirkzee following his brief cameo off the bench in their 1-1 draw against Leeds United, but warned the striker shouldn’t be thinking about sealing a move away from the club this month.

The Portuguese head coach surprisingly named Zirkzee amongst the substitutes for Saturday’s game in Yorkshire, despite taking a depleted squad to Elland Road. However, the Netherlands international came off the bench with a quarter of the game to go and made an impact in their build-up play, assisting Matheus Cunha for the equaliser after Brenden Aaronsen put hosts in front on 62 minutes.

It capped an impressive – albeit brief – display from the towering forward, who has gradually settled into a substitute role. While Cunha was named man of the match, Amorim diverted attention away from the Brazilian towards his out-of-favour team-mate Zirkzee.

“I think Josh played well in the 25 minutes he had. [He] connected very well with his teammates, and he showed he’s got a lot to give,” Amorim told TNT Sports. When pressed about whether Zirkzee will be staying at the club beyond the January transfer window, he replied: “You need to focus on United. Man United is one of the biggest clubs in the world and if you are here and focused on a different club, something is wrong with you.”

Zirkzee has endured a difficult time in the Premier League since his €42.5 million move from Bologna in July 2024. The former Bayern Munich trainee has found the net only nine times in 63 appearances and has struggled to hold down a regular spot in the team since Benjamin Sesko’s arrival. Reports in Italy persist that Zirkzee could return to the Serie A, with Roma and AC Milan among those credited with an interest, but Amorim’s stern comments suggests he would like to keep him around.