Dusan Vlahovic: Manchester United offered Juventus striker in shock swap deal for Joshua Zirkzee

According to reports, Juventus have offered highly-rated striker Dusan Vlahovic to the Premier League side, in exchange for Joshua Zirkzee.

Zirkzee joined Old Trafford last summer in a £36.5m move from Bologna, but has reportedly struggled with life in England and has not performed to a high enough standard on the pitch either. Against Newcastle United, the 23-year-old was booed by Man United fans when substituted off in the 33rd minute.

Meanwhile Vlahovic was bought by Juventus in 2022 for £62m, moving from Fiorentina in the January transfer window.

TalkSport reported that since Vlahovic’s contract expires in 18 months - and Zirkzee is keen to return to the Serie A - the move would prove to be mutually beneficial. Vlahovic has scored 12 goals in 23 games so far this season, having scored 18 in all competitions last season.

However, Juventus are looking to offload him as he does not fit manager Thiago Motta’s style, serving more as a target man than a striker who can run in behind defenders.

By contrast, Zirkzee has not played regularly for Manchester United since joining, with the likes of Rasmus Hojlund and Amad Diallo not only being preferred by manager Ruben Amorim, but also proving to be more effective in front of goal.