Two reports, two opposite stories. Manchester United have a forward who cost about £36.5m in 2024, and nobody can agree whether he stays or goes.

What the reports say

TEAMtalk transfer insider Graeme Bailey claims director of football Jason Wilcox wants the 25-year-old out in January. Sources add that co-owners INEOS will actively look to sell him mid-season. Then Dean Jones, writing for Flashscore, flips the script.

Joshua Zirkzee wants to stay, according to Jones, and the club might even keep him. The Dutchman reportedly remains committed to fixing his situation at Old Trafford and keeps working to convince the coaching staff he deserves a bigger role. Transfer Feed relayed both claims.

What Zirkzee actually offers

He’s a striker who plays like a number ten. Tall, loose-limbed and silky, he drops between the lines, bounces the ball off defenders and bamboozles markers with close control. Bologna loved it, and his 12 Serie A goals in 2023-24 helped them into the Champions League. Goals have dried up in a red shirt, though. That’s the sore point.

Carrick’s view and the competition

Michael Carrick built his playing career on composure and tidy passing, so a forward who links play should appeal on paper. Trouble is, Benjamin Sesko now leads the line, with Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo buzzing around him. Zirkzee sits behind all three in the queue, which explains the January chatter.

Should Carrick keep Zirkzee beyond January?

I’d keep him, with one condition. Sesko can’t play every minute of a season stretched across the league and cup ties, and a back-up with a similar profile costs serious money. Zirkzee offers something different off the bench, a forward who holds the ball when United chase a game or protect a lead. Sell him in January and Carrick needs a replacement number nine for the same cash, probably a worse one.

The condition is simple. Zirkzee needs minutes that matter, not ten-minute cameos. His confidence looks fragile, and a striker without goals loses value every month. If a bid lands near his original fee, take it. Anything lower is a loss United don’t need to swallow.

Carrick’s possession-minded football suits his touch. Give him a proper run of league starts against deep blocks, where space is scarce and his link play matters.