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Paolo Di Canio believes Joshua Zirkzee is ‘too slow’ for the Premier League and has urged Juventus to explore a loan move for the forward in the January transfer window.
Zirkzee joined United from Bologna for a fee in the region of £36.5million in the summer and the 23-year-old Dutchman enjoyed a dream debut as he scored a dramatic late winner at home to Fulham.
However, Zirkzee has failed to register a goal or assist since his Old Trafford heroics and Erik ten Hag hauled his fellow countryman off at the midway stage in United’s 3-0 capitulation at home to Tottenham.
Two substitute appearances followed against Porto and Aston Villa and Zirkzee’s struggles continued during the international break, with the attacker dropped for the Netherlands’ Nations League defeat to Germany.
Zirkzee will be desperate to turn a corner as United enter what could prove a crucial period in the context of their season, with Ten Hag under intense pressure after five games without a win.
While Zirkzee’s Old Trafford career remains in its infancy, the ex-Bologna star has had his United credentials questioned by several high-profile figures, with club legend Paul Scholes among his recent critics.
West Ham hero Di Canio is the latest name to join the pile-on, questioning whether the striker possesses the necessary qualities to be success in English football while talking up a temporary switch to Juventus.
‘I’d ask Manchester United for Zirkzee’s loan. After all, Manchester United have been making crazy decisions for years,’ Di Canio told Italian publication Tuttosport.
‘Nothing works there, not even Zirkzee. He’s too slow for the Premier League.
‘Maybe he’ll prove me wrong with goals and big performances, but in the Premier League, defenders are aggressive, and there are 30 per cent fewer fouls [than in Serie A].’
Di Canio encouraged Juve to begin talks to sign Zirkzee immediately, despite having doubts about the player’s finishing in front of goal.
‘There is so much confusion at Manchester United that they could even give him away on loan. They already have [Rasmus] Hojlund and [Marcus] Rashford, who play in that position,’ Di Canio added.
‘He would be an ideal profile and give Thiago Motta a player with a different skill set to [Dusan] Vlahovic.
‘I’d start negotiations now – a loan with an option to buy. Zikrzee is not a deadly finisher; he won’t score 25 goals, but he makes his team-mates play well.’
Former England manager Fabio Capello expressed similar concerns about Zirkzee last month, just three games into the forward’s career with United.
On Liverpool summer signing Federico Chiesa, Capello told Corriere della Sera: ‘I think he has the right speed to play in the Premier League.
‘Elsewhere, I saw Zirkzee who is having great difficulty because he thinks he can still play at the Italian pace.’
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