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Craig Burley has fired shots at Joshua Zirkzee and claimed that the Dutchman is not good enough to be a Manchester United player. He believes that Matthijs de Ligt has also not looked like he belongs in the starting XI at Old Trafford.
Speaking on ESPN, Burley stated that Erik ten Hag's signings have not shown that they can do well at Old Trafford. He believes that the signings are horrendous and said:
"Some of these signings have been absolutely horrendous. Hojlund hasn't worked out, obviously. We've talked about Zirkzee, my god he's never a Manchester United player. Matthijs de Ligt has come and he's looked like a shambles."
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Ruud Gullit also claimed that Zirkzee should have not joined Manchester United during the summer transfer window. He believes that the striker should have moved to AC Milan and told Gazzetta in an interview:
"Zirkzee should have joined Milan rather than Man United. He knew Serie A and a couple extra seasons in this competition at a top club like Milan would have been ideal for his development. Now, he's in a club with many problems, which is not making his growth easy. I hope Zirkzee can turn it around, even if needing some time to settle in is natural. He's undoubtedly a good player, but it's hard to do well at Man United in this historical moment."
The Red Devils signed Joshua Zirkzee from Bologna for a reported £36.54 million fee. He scored on his Premier League debut but has not scored in any of his last six league matches.
Erik ten Hag backs Manchester United star to do better at the club
Red Devils manager Erik ten Hag has backed Joshua Zirkzee to become a prolific striker at Manchester United. He believes that the Dutchman has the ability to link up play and create chances for his teammates.
Ten Hag said via GOAL:
"Yes I do [think he can become a prolific goalscorer for United]. Sure, he is young. We see his great abilities. He is a very good link-up player, as you say, he is creative. He is creating chances but be fair, also he has his moments towards the goal from the opposition. I think it was a great action he had [against FC Twente] and a great finish he had, top save from the keeper but in that area he can definitely improve. We know he has some very good attributes, and he has to improve, and he needs our support on how to improve."
The Dutch international netted 12 goals and provided seven assists across 37 games for Bologna in the 2023-24 season.
Manchester United have managed just two wins in their opening seven Premier League matches this season. They are 14th in the league with eight points – their worst start in the Premier League history.
