Joshua Zirkzee reportedly set to leave Manchester United for Everton

Joshua Zirkzee’s Manchester United chapter is over. The Dutch forward is heading to Everton, ending a spell at Old Trafford that started with genuine promise and steadily dissolved into bench appearances and transfer speculation.

United paid £36.5 million to bring Zirkzee in from Bologna in July 2024. Two years later, they’re cutting their losses on a player who never quite fit the system Ruben Amorim was trying to build.

From Serie A sensation to squad player

Zirkzee’s arrival at United wasn’t some panic buy. He’d just been named Serie A’s best Under-23 player for the 2023-24 season. The early returns were decent. Zirkzee managed nine goals across 75 appearances for United.

But the 2025-26 season told a different story. Just five Premier League starts. For a player United had invested north of £36 million in barely 18 months earlier, that kind of marginalization sends a clear message.

With three years still remaining on the contract he signed when he arrived in 2024, United had leverage to demand a fee that at least partially recouped their investment.

Everton’s long pursuit finally pays off

Everton’s interest in Zirkzee isn’t some recent development. The club has been tracking the Dutchman since he trialed with them back in 2017. The Toffees were linked with a move for Zirkzee as far back as January 2026, though nothing came together during that winter window. David Moyes, back in the Everton dugout, clearly identified Zirkzee as the kind of versatile forward who could anchor his system.

The move also came after Zirkzee turned down other options. Fiorentina held advanced talks over a loan deal, but the striker declined. Juventus was also in negotiations for a two-part loan arrangement with a purchase option, though those discussions were complicated by the Italian club’s financial constraints.

What went wrong at United

Zirkzee’s struggles at Old Trafford weren’t entirely his fault. He joined a club in perpetual transition. The managerial change from Erik ten Hag to Ruben Amorim brought a wholesale tactical overhaul, and Zirkzee’s skill set didn’t align neatly with what Amorim demanded from his forwards.

Nine goals across all competitions over two seasons isn’t the return United envisioned when they made him one of their marquee signings in the summer of 2024. With resources finite and Amorim’s system requiring specific profiles, keeping a £36.5 million forward who doesn’t fit the tactical blueprint becomes an expensive luxury.

What this means for both clubs

For Everton, Zirkzee is still just 25 years old, still possesses the technical quality that made him one of Serie A’s most exciting young players, and still has something to prove after a frustrating spell at a bigger club. Moyes has historically been effective at getting the best out of players who arrive with points to prove.