Joshua Zirkzee wants the Juventus move, Manchester United are open to a temporary deal, and the whole thing is being held up by Jonathan David. Juventus want a straight loan without an obligation to buy, and they are trying to sort David's future before making a final move for Joshua Zirkzee.
Juventus need room before moving for Zirkzee
That order of business matters because Juventus are not looking for a quick permanent deal. They want the structure kept to a straight loan, which tells you they are trying to control the finances rather than force a bigger commitment now.
The David situation is the blocker. Juventus are trying to resolve his future first, and the club's own output makes it easy to see why they are willing to reshuffle. David scored 8 goals in his debut Juventus season, while Juventus have managed 5 league matches in a mixed run of 2 wins, 2 draws and 1 loss.
United's side of the move
United have already given the green light to evaluate a temporary deal for Zirkzee, so this is not a case of a club digging in and refusing to talk. It is more a question of whether Juventus can create the right opening.
Zirkzee's own recent numbers help explain why the loan is attractive. He played just 19 minutes in his most recent league outing, and his recent rating sat at 6.3. Those figures do not scream indispensable starter, and they make a Serie A return look like a sensible reset rather than a wild gamble.
Ricky Massara has also been described as actively driving the operation, working hard on the finer contract details. For now, the move still sits where most of these stories do: waiting on one decisive exit before the next arrival can happen.
Written by Daniel Hartley with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 2 outlets. How we work →
