Manchester United offered 42 goals in 82 international games striker in Zirkzee swap deal

Michael Carrick faced the media ahead of Manchester United‘s first home game of the season against Ipswich, with team news and transfer talk both on the agenda.

Carrick confirmed Diallo is still unavailable for selection, though there was better news on Mason Mount, who is back training with the group.

The manager also spoke highly of new signing Carlos Baleba: “We’re delighted with Carlos. Massive potential. I think it’s a really exciting signing for us. I think the quality that he has, the attributes that he has, that offsets a little bit of the balance of the group that we’ve got.”

Baleba is carrying a “little ankle issue” that will keep him out for a few weeks, though Carrick stressed “it’s no major issue,” and both he and Amad could be back before next month’s international break.

Asked about academy prospect JJ Gabriel, Carrick said: “JJ is one of the boys. He’s obviously got a really big talent. He’s trained with us quite a bit. He’s getting experience all the time. He’s physically adapting to each step that he makes, and just continuing his development.”

On Harry Amass, whose long-term future is less clear: “I’ve been really pleased with Harry. I think he had a really good season that didn’t finish so good with the injury, but it’s been great to have him around pre-season. He’s done really well. So, let’s see what happens.”

Away from the action on the pitch, Fabrizio Romano has confirmed a left-back remains United’s priority in the coming days, also revealing a striker could be on the agenda if Joshua Zirkzee goes out the door first.

Man Utd offered swap deal for Zirkzee

Football FanCast sources understand Juventus have now joined the race for Zirkzee, with Jonathan David potentially becoming the makeweight.

United are fully intent on moving Zirkzee on for good this window – they already have a loan-with-obligation offer from Fiorentina on the table, but would rather cut ties permanently now rather than revisit the situation next summer.

Juventus, for their part, have a similar problem with David and want him off the wage bill to free up room for their own incomings, and sources understand the striker’s agent has contacted United directly to encourage them to offer Zirkzee in exchange for the Canadian, who has 42 goals in 82 caps for his country.

The numbers make for an interesting comparison. David has been a consistently reliable source of goals throughout his career, while Zirkzee is valued more for his ceiling than what he has already proven on the pitch.

On the surface, David’s track record makes him look the far superior striker, but his struggles since moving to Turin mirror the very same problem Zirkzee has had at Old Trafford – goals simply drying up in a bigger, more demanding environment. Whether swapping one misfiring forward for another solves anything for either club remains to be seen, but with both United and Juventus eager to move their respective strikers on before the deadline, it’s a deal that suits two clubs with matching problems.