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Analysis
- 1 hours ago
West Ham and Everton chase UNDERRATED Man Utd star
Robin Bairner
- 6 Oct 2025 08:24 BST
- 4 min read
News
West Ham United and Everton are ready to engage in a transfer battle in January for one of Manchester United’s most underrated players.
Ruben Amorim spent heavily in the summer to reinforce the attack of the Old Trafford side, with Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesko all arriving for a combined cost of more than €200 million.
Collateral damage to this influx of attackers was Joshua Zirkzee, who now finds himself almost completely out of the picture at Man Utd.
Current ETV
Joshua Zirkzee
F (C)
Man Utd
Joshua Zirkzee
F (C)
Man Utd
ETV Range
€34.2M - €41.8M
He has played only 82 minutes across all competitions this season, with his sole start coming in August’s 3-2 win over Burnley. Unsurprisingly, he has yet to get a goal or assist to his credit.
Now clubs are eyeing up a deal. Everton and West Ham are both linked with a potential January swoop by TeamTalk, with Zirkzee seeking to depart to ensure his place at the 2026 World Cup with the Netherlands.
But it’s not just Premier League clubs exploring the possibility of Zirkzee. A return to Serie A, where he starred with Bologna, is possible. Como, AC Milan and Juventus are all linked with the player, who is seriously considering his options after not getting any game time in the 2-0 win over Sunderland.
Joshua Zirkzee: A player waiting to explode
Zirkzee thinks he can cut it in the Premier League, and the evidence from data analytics firm SciSports agrees.
Indeed, the Dutchman is considered to be Man Utd’s eighth-best player according to the experts.
Zirkzee’s problem at United this season, though, is that they are a top-heavy side. Mbeumo is rated as the Red Devils’ leading player followed by fellow summer arrival Cunha and captain Bruno Fernandes. Benjamin Sesko, who netted against Sunderland, comes in fifth.
Man Utd's best players (SciSports)
| Name | Rating | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bryan Mbeumo | 109.4 |
| 2 | Matheus Cunha | 106.3 |
| 3 | Bruno Fernandes | 101.0 |
| 4 | Noussair Mazraoui | 99.2 |
| 5 | Benjamin Sesko | 96.4 |
| 6 | Lisandro Martinez | 95.3 |
| 7 | Matthijs de Ligt | 94.3 |
| 8 | Joshua Zirkzee | 93.9 |
| 9 | Manuel Ugarte | 91.0 |
| 10 | Diogo Dalot | 90.9 |
So while Zirkzee is rated highly, opportunities are naturally difficult for him to find, particularly with Man Utd having no midweek competition due to their early exit from the Carabao Cup.
SciSports says that he would be a regular at Everton and a key player at West Ham, surely giving him pause to consider a January move to either should the chance arise.
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