Former Manchester United striker Dwight Yorke has expressed doubts about new signing Joshua Zirkzee. Yorke believes United should only go after the best players in the world and is not convinced Zirkzee is up there.
Manchester United Have Paid Handsomely For Joshua Zirkzee
After missing out on a top-four finish in 2023-24, Manchester United are on a quest to reclaim lost glory. Breaking the norm, they have opted to keep their manager and turned their attention to bolstering their squad. So far, they have signed two players — Zirkzee from Bologna and Leny Yoro from Lille — and are working on a few others.
Zirkzee enjoyed a fine campaign with Bologna last season, scoring 12 goals and claiming seven assists in 37 matches across competitions. His performances helped Bologna finish fifth and qualify for the 2024-25 UEFA Champions League.
Although Zirkzee was in fine form throughout the season, Netherlands manager Ronald Koeman did not name him in his initial 26-man squad for the 2024 European Championship. Zirkzee got the call-up after a couple of first-choice players picked up injuries ahead of the tournament. The 23-year-old only played twice, for a total of four minutes, in EURO 2024.
Dwight Yorke Explains Joshua Zirkzee Red Flag
Yorke finds it unsettling that Zirkzee is not one of the starters for Holland, and thinks United may have lost the power to sign the best in the business.
He said (via Manchester Evening News):
“You’ve got Joshua Zirkzee, who seems to have a decent season with Bologna and could make an impact, but you have to ask why he is not a starter for Holland.
“That’s a red flag for me when you come in at United for that sort of fee. In recent years the club have brought in middle-of-the-road players rather than the creme de la creme players that they should be getting.”
Yorke added:
“United should be signing the very best players in Holland and the best players in whatever national team they are playing for. United are not in the position to do that anymore and it worries me.
“I’m not saying the kid is not a good player. I’m not saying that he definitely can’t go and light up the Premier League, but why is he not playing in the Holland first team?”
He concluded by saying:
“Is he great for Bologna but he’s not good for the Holland national team? Does that mean he can’t be that great for United? But we can only judge him on that at the end of the season.”
Zirkzee has not yet linked up with his new teammates on their pre-season tour in the United States. He has been granted a longer holiday due to his EURO 2024 participation.
Add Sportslens to your Google News Feed!
