Ten Hag signing approves Man Utd transfer exit and Martinez could follow

Man Utd forward Joshua Zirkzee is ready to leave Old Trafford and pursue a summer transfer to Serie A side Juventus, according to reports.

The Red Devils signed the Netherlands international while Erik ten Hag was still the manager before Zirkzee’s compatriot left the club a couple of months after his arrival.

Zirkzee has made just 19 Premier League starts in his two seasons at Old Trafford, scoring five times, and there have been rumours that Man Utd are looking to bring in a more experienced forward to help Benjamin Sesko next term.

Ruud Gullit recently urged Zirkzee to leave Man Utd after claiming that his compatriot “made a mistake” moving to Old Trafford in 2024.

Gullit said: “Joshua Zirkzee made a mistake moving to Manchester United – he should have stayed in Italy.

“When he left Bologna, he should have gone to Juventus or AC Milan and stayed in Serie A. He arrived at United when there was a lot of bad energy around the club. It was the wrong time for him.

“There have been rumours that he could now leave United and go to Roma in the summer. I hope he makes that move, or at least join another club in Italy, because it is a much more suitable league for him.”

And now Italian newspaper Gazzetta Dello Sport (via Sport Witness) claim that Zirkzee has approved a summer transfer away from Man Utd as Juventus look to get a deal over the line.

Juventus chief football officer Ricky Massara has ‘spent more hours on the phone with Zirkzee’s entourage’ than his own friends as the Italian giants attempt to secure deals for the Man Utd flop and Paris Saint-Germain’s Randal Kolo Muani.

Could Lisandro Martinez also leave Man Utd this summer?

Lisandro Martinez spent most of last season injured as Man Utd finished third in the Premier League and qualified for the Champions League under Michael Carrick.

And now former Man Utd chief scout Mick Brown reckons Lisandro Martinez could leave this summer if they get an indication that his fitness struggles are set to continue.

Brown told Football Insider: “It was a real blow for Man United to see Martinez pick up another injury.

“I’m not sure how serious it was or how long he’ll be out for, but obviously it’s a concern at the start of a new season when you’d be hoping he would be involved in pre-season.

“He’ll have a break now after the World Cup where hopefully he can recover, and then Man United’s medical team will have to assess him when he gets back.

“It’s just the latest of a few injuries he’s had recently, and that’s becoming a real concern for Man United because they need him to be available.

“When he’s fit and on it, he’s a really good centre-back. He’s aggressive, he doesn’t let you settle, he wins his duels and he’s good on the ball as well, he’s such a valuable asset.

“But none of that is any good if he’s always sat in the stands with an injury, so if there’s any indication these issues are going to keep coming up, I expect they’ll look to cut their losses.

“There will be interest from clubs in Spain and elsehwere, so I wouldn’t be surprised if they considered letting him go.”