Michael Carrick urged to recall Manchester United flop after failed transfer | Football

Jaap Stam has urged Michael Carrick to get Joshua Zirkzee back in the Manchester United team after a summer move away from Old Trafford fell through.

The Red Devils were open to offloading Zirkzee in the summer transfer window amid interest from multiple Italian clubs.

Juventus and Napoli both expressed interest in the Netherlands international but favoured a loan deal whereas Manchester United wanted a standard sale.

Zirzkee also attracted interest from Everton on transfer deadline day but at that point United had ruled out a deal given they were unable to sign a replacement.

Manchester United had high hopes for Zirkzee following his £36.5m move from Bologna in 2024 but the 25-year-old has scored just five goals across the last two Premier League campaigns.

Carrick appears to have reservations about Zirkzee and is yet to give the Dutchman any minutes from the bench this season.

But Old Trafford legend Stam is confident his compatriot Zirkzee can ‘still do well’ for Manchester United and says he was one of the reasons Carrick ‘didn’t need to sign a striker this summer’.

‘It looks as if Manchester United are dealing with transfer windows in stages,’ Stam told Betfred.

‘We had the attack last summer, midfield this summer and defence possibly next summer, but I believe you always have to look at the areas that need strengthening at the time.

‘I don’t think they needed a striker this summer because I believe in Sesko and I think [Joshua] Zirkzee can still do well for United.

‘I would have liked to have seen a new winger signed this summer because I think they’re crucial for the style of play that United have.

‘Marcus Rashford has stepped in and done really well, but can he keep that up? Bryan Mbeumo sometimes plays on the right, sometimes he plays down the middle, so I would have brought in a winger with a lot of pace that can create something.

‘Defensively, the players in that area have played together for years and years, so I think they needed to add something new and I would have done that straight away if the opportunity was there.’

Stam’s winger of choice for Manchester United would have been Bradley Barcola, who completed a stunning £123m move from PSG to Liverpool.

Barcola helped the Ligue 1 giants win back-to-back Champions Leagues and was part of France’s star-studded World Cup squad over the summer.

‘Liverpool got Bradley Barcola from PSG and like I’ve said previously, I would have liked Man United to have signed a winger during the summer transfer window,’ Stam added.

‘He’s the type of player we could have done with because he’s got tremendous pace and he’s unpredictable in the way he plays.

‘But Manchester United have their own thoughts on how they want to approach the transfer window, so who am I to say who they should have signed and who they shouldn’t.’

Carrick’s United mark their return to the Champions League on Thursday night against Azerbaijani minnows Shabah.

The Red Devils then return to Premier League action on Sunday with a Manchester derby against Enzo Maresca’s City.

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