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Joshua Zirkzee is reportedly now "keen to remain" at Manchester United, convinced he will earn more game time once European competition returns to the club's fixture list next season.
Zirkzee has accumulated only 546 minutes across all competitions so far in 2025–26, with just four Premier League starts to his name. The Red Devils have had no UEFA involvement this season and were eliminated from both domestic cup competitions at the first hurdle, stripping away a considerable number of potential appearances.
It was previously believed the Dutchman was open to departing—possibly back to Serie A following a productive stint with Bologna—to boost his chances of featuring at the World Cup this summer.
However, that window appears to have closed. With fewer than three months until the World Cup and Zirkzee having gone uncalled by his national team for 18 months—since November 2024—the tournament no longer serves as a reason to seek a move.
According to the Daily Mail, Zirkzee is "determined" to stay. While that doesn't guarantee his future at the club, the 24-year-old is not pushing for an exit in the way some peripheral players might. United are also expected to focus their transfer activity on other areas of the squad, meaning forward competition is unlikely to intensify.
Should United wish to move Zirkzee on—which would necessitate signing a replacement striker—it would have to be a club-driven decision made against the player's own wishes.
Extra Matches Coming Zirkzee's Way
United will finish 2025–26 having played just 40 matches, the lowest number of games in a single campaign since 1914–15.
But a top-five Premier League finish would change the picture entirely. Qualifying for the Champions League, which now appears highly probable, would add a minimum of eight fixtures to next season's schedule. Advancing past the league phase, which requires a top-24 placement, would bring at least one knockout round.
Progressing through even a handful of rounds in the Carabao Cup and FA Cup—something that clearly hasn't happened this season—could also comfortably add five or six more games.
Those increased demands will naturally call for a broader squad than United have required in recent months. A player of Zirkzee's profile, who excelled in Italy, could also be particularly well suited to European competition.
Zirkzee: Old Trafford Is Incredible
Perhaps reinforcing his desire to stay, Zirkzee recently spoke passionately about Old Trafford, describing it as a venue unlike any other he has experienced.
"When they start singing 'United Road' before the game … you sometimes just look around and you're like, 'f------ hell, I'm playing in Old Trafford.' It's very special, you can just feel it," he told club media.
"This type of energy, aura that hangs around the stadium with the history, the great players that have been in this club. It's just incredible, the stadium, the fans. There's really nothing like this, I think, anywhere on this planet."