Ten Hag ‘sack leads’ to ‘regretful’ Man Utd summer signing exit with Euro giants ‘ready to make’ offer

The decison to sack Erik ten Hag as Man Utd boss could lead to Joshua Zirkzee leaving Old Trafford in the January transfer window, according to reports.

Ten Hag was sacked as Man Utd first-team manager on Monday morning following a disappointing start to the season, with Sporting Lisbon boss Ruben Amorim reportedly set to take over.

They slipped into 14th in the Premier League table following their fourth league defeat of the season, by West Ham on Sunday.

Speculation had mounted over the Dutchman’s position in recent weeks and there was little surprise to see the news confirmed by Man Utd on Monday.

The Red Devils signed five players in the summer transfer window to support Ten Hag in INEOS’ first since taking control of football operations and Zirkzee was their main forward addition.

The Netherlands international signed from Bologna in a deal worth a reported £36.5m as Man Utd looked to provide Rasmus Hojlund with some support up front.

Zirkzee has struggled to get to grips with life at Old Trafford with the Dutchman only managing one goal and two assists in 13 matches this season.

A report earlier this month claimed that Zirkzee is ‘starting to regret the choice he made last summer, preferring the Red Devils to various Italian clubs and beyond.’

It was claimed at the time that Zirkzee ‘wants to return’ to Italy and that stance doesn’t seem to have changed since with reports with Milan Live claiming Ten Hag’s ‘dismissal leads to his return to Serie A’.

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The Netherlands international is ‘set to play in the Italian league again’ and ‘appears increasingly likely’ after the news of Ten Hag’s sack at Man Utd.

Juventus have already thrown their hat into the ring if Zirkzee becomes available and now Serie A rivals Milan are ‘intent on making a move for the young Dutchman’.

It is claimed that discussions ‘could end positively on the basis of a loan with an option to buy’ to reunite Zirkzee and Milan manager Thiago Motta.

Former Man Utd winger Lee Sharpe thinks decisions like the one against Fenerbahce, in which Ten Hag decided to start “Noussair Mazraoui at number ten” when he signed Zirkzee in the summer, cost the former Ajax boss his job at Old Trafford.

Sharpe told BestBettingSites.com: “I was shocked to hear that Erik Ten Hag had been sacked by Manchester United. I thought he may have been given the Leicester game in the Carabao Cup and the Chelsea game in the Premier League as a stay of execution, but United have decided to take action.

“I think when he looks at it, he can have no complaints. Too much has happened at Manchester United this season, they’re too far off the pace in the Premier League for the amount of money that has been spent, and things didn’t look like they were going to improve under him.

“When you look at some of his recent decision-making, I think questions need to be asked. Against Fenerbahçe he started the game with his full back Noussair Mazraoui at number ten when he had signed Joshua Zirkzee in the summer for £36m, that was a strange decision for the manager to make and also not one which will have filled his new signing with confidence.”