Manchester United forward Joshua Zirkzee is reportedly considering a move away from the club in January, as reported by Calciomercato. The 23-year-old, who joined Old Trafford in July for a fee of £36.5 million from Bologna, is said to be keen on returning to Italy.
While AC Milan no longer has interest in acquiring the Netherlands international, Juventus is among the clubs that could pursue Zirkzee. He fits the profile of the type of forward the Turin club is looking for, which could open the door for a potential transfer.
According to the Italian outlet, a loan move could materialize in January. However, it remains uncertain whether Manchester United would agree to let Zirkzee depart without securing a replacement first. His current record of one goal in 11 matches across all competitions this season has marked a challenging start to his time in England.
Zirkzee's recent struggles have also seen him lose his spot in manager Erik ten Hag's starting XI to Rasmus Højlund, who notably scored the winning goal in Saturday's 2-1 comeback victory over Brentford. As the January transfer window approaches, Zirkzee's situation at United will be closely watched, particularly given his desire to find regular playing time and potentially return to the Serie A.
Over 100 professional female footballers have united in a letter urging FIFA to terminate its sponsorship agreement with the state-owned Saudi Arabian oil company Aramco, citing the country’s “brutal human rights violations.
”The four-year partnership, established in April, will see Aramco, which is 98.5% state-owned, sponsor major events, including the men’s World Cup in 2026 and the Women’s World Cup in 2027. Critics argue that Saudi Arabia is engaging in “sportswashing,” attempting to improve its image through investments in sports while obscuring its dismal human rights record.
Recently, the Saudi regime has imposed lengthy prison sentences on several women after secret trials, targeting those who advocated for women’s rights on social media.
In their letter published on Monday, the athletes emphasized that young girls, who will become future players, deserve far better from the sport’s governing body than its “allyship with this nightmare sponsor.
”The signatories stated: “Saudi authorities have been spending billions in sports sponsorship to try to distract from the regime’s brutal human rights reputation, but its treatment of women speaks for itself.
“It is because we stand alongside the citizens of Saudi Arabia whose human rights are violated that we are speaking out. We don’t want to be part of covering up these violations.
“We urge FIFA to reconsider this partnership and replace Saudi Aramco with alternative sponsors whose values align with gender equality, human rights, and the safe future of our planet.
“A corporation that bears glaring responsibility for the climate crisis, owned by a state that criminalizes LGBTQ+ individuals and systematically oppresses women, has no place sponsoring our beautiful game.”
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