Why it’s make-or-break for this Man Utd star against Everton

Robin Bairner

24 Nov 2025 11:59 GMT
4 min read

On the face of it, Manchester United’s clash with Everton is a run of the mill Premier League Monday Night Football clash, but for Joshua Zirkzee, the stakes could not be higher.

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The Netherlands international has found himself as collateral damage at Man Utd since the arrival of Ruben Amorim. He is, of course, not alone. Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho have already succumbed to the Portuguese, while Kobbie Mainoo may yet be on the hit list.

If Zirkzee is to avoid being next, though, he needs to start shining – and he needs to do it soon.

Current ETV

Joshua Zirkzee

F (C)

Man Utd

Joshua Zirkzee

F (C)

Man Utd

ETV Range

€32.5M - €39.7M

A rare chance to shine amid Sesko’s injury

With Benjamin Sesko missing due to injury, there is a window of opportunity, but it may not be a big one. Amorim has often preferred to play with a false 9 as opposed to starting with the €42.5 million signing from Bologna. There was, remember, the Mainoo experiment in that role against Crystal Palace last season.

That is an example of just how much ground Zirkzee has to make up in his fight to get a meaningful chance at Man Utd.

World Cup pressure and uncertain transfer options

Frustratingly for him, given the World Cup is looming little over six months away, there is no guarantee that he will be allowed to leave in January, given the general lack of depth that Amorim possesses.

Speaking to the media about the position the Mainoo and Zirkzee find themselves, the manager said:

“The first thing is that the club comes first, so we have to think about the club and the team, and then everything can happen.

“I understand the frustration of some players, seeing that the World Cup is there. And I know what it means for the World Cup, but Manchester United comes first, so if I can help the club and the players, I will be happy, if not I have to think about the team.”

Not in, not out: Zirkzee stuck in limbo

Zirkzee finds himself not quite in Amorim’s plans enough to get the opportunities he wants, but not quite out of them sufficiently to be pushed aside.

That is why Everton is so important for the 24-year-old, who has seen his Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) tumble around €15m since the beginning of the season to €36.1m off the back of his lack of action.

According to the Manchester Evening News, those around Zirkzee still believe that he can have a future at the club, but having played fewer than 90 minutes of Premier League football this season, it will take a remarkable comeback.

If he is overlooked at Everton, Amorim’s message to him will be loud and clear: Zirkzee is little more than a bench option for emergency use.

The Old Trafford clash will, therefore, be defining in Zirkzee’s future.

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