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First Man Utd transfer domino falls: January deal for €43m star ON
Tom Weber
- 9 Dec 2025 21:25 GMT
- 4 min read
News
AS Roma are actively trying to cancel Evan Ferguson's loan from Brighton to set up a transfer for Manchester United forward Joshua Zirkzee, according to Italian media.
The Serie A giants are unhappy with their current attacking options. Roma were briefly top of the table, but recent results have turned sour, with Gian Piero Gasperini putting this down to a lack of offensive firepower.
The manager certainly has a point. Roma have only scored 15 goals in their 14 Serie A games so far, which is the worst goal haul among the teams in the top half of the standings. By contrast, league leaders Milan have netted 22 times and third-placed Inter 32 times.
Compared
Evan Ferguson
F (C)
Roma
Evan Ferguson
F (C)
Roma
VS
Joshua Zirkzee
F (C)
Man Utd
Joshua Zirkzee
F (C)
Man Utd
|
|
ETV |
|
| €17.8M - €21.8M | ETV Range | €32.5M - €39.7M |
| 21 years old (19 Oct, 2004) | Age | 24 years old (22 May, 2001) |
|
Ireland
|
Nationality |
Netherlands
|
On-loan striker Evan Ferguson has only found the back of the net once in 14 appearances across all competitions for the Giallorossi, naturally leading to frustration among the club hierarchy.
Given that Roma stand accused of having breached UEFA's Squad Cost Ratio rule, they need to be smart with their spending and can't justify paying players who aren't pulling their weight.
Roma desperate to sign Zirkzee
According to Gazzetta dello Sport, the "Ferguson gamble" is over. Roma have decided to send the Republic of Ireland international back to Brighton in January. Discussions with the Seagulls to cut his loan stint short are in full swing.
The Italian outlet claims that it is "almost certain" that the 21-year-old will leave Roma again after just six months. Brighton, too, are interested in bringing Ferguson back due to Stefanos Tzimas' long-term knee injury.
Ferguson's departure will free up a spot for Roma to bring in a new striker. Man Utd forward Joshua Zirkzee is Gasperini's preferred option, but the operation remains difficult, which is why Gianluca Scamacca and Arnaud Kalimuendo are also being considered.
Corriere dello Sport reports that Gasperini is practically begging for Zirkzee. "Gasp wants him wrapped in a ribbon in front of his office: a move that would be a Christmas, birthday, Easter, August Bank Holiday (Ferragosto), and even Thanksgiving Day present," the report writes.
The Dutchman is understood to be open to the move, but the deal is complicated by his agent's "extremely high" commission and Man Utd's reluctance to weaken their team in January. As things stand, the deal is difficult but not impossible, according to the publication.
The €42.5 million signing has recently received some minutes in the absence of Benjamin Sesko, but with the exception of a well-taken goal against Crystal Palace, Zirkzee hasn't had much of an impact. Despite this, Ruben Amorim wants to keep him around until the end of the season.
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