Serie A giants ‘dream’ of signing  £105,000 per-week Manchester United flop in January

Manchester United's Lisandro Martinez and Joshua Zirkzee. (Reuters/Andrew Couldridge)

Manchester United are finally starting to find their rhythm under Ruben Amorim.

After back-to-back Premier League wins over Liverpool and Sunderland, the Red Devils followed up with a thrilling 4-2 victory against Brighton at the weekend, leaving them sixth in the table.

Bryan Mbeumo is firing on all cylinders, Matheus Cunha has finally opened his scoring account, and the wing-backs are finally performing as expected.

Yet not every United player has benefited from the upturn.

Joshua Zirkzee continues to struggle, having managed just 90 minutes of action all season without starting a single league game. The Netherlands international looks set to be moved on, with Serie A giants already circling.

According to Gazzetta dello Sport, Roma have identified Zirkzee as a key target ahead of the January transfer window.

The Italian side, currently second in Serie A on points but trailing Napoli on goal difference, have struggled for goals this season, with their two strikers, Artem Dovbyk and Evan Ferguson, contributing only one league goal between them.

Manager Gian Piero Gasperini reportedly has his sights firmly set on the former Bologna forward.

Zirkzee, who swapped Italy for Manchester United in a £42 million move, is said to be open to returning to Serie A after a frustrating spell in England.

The 24-year-old, who earns £105,000 per-week at United, could offer Roma the firepower they need to mount a title challenge, while also giving him the chance to revive his career in familiar surroundings.

Barnaby Lane is a highly experienced sports writer who has written for The Times, FourFourTwo Magazine, Sports Illustrated, TalkSPORT, and Business Insider.

Over the years, he's had the pleasure of interviewing some of the biggest names in world sport, including Usain Bolt, Rafael Nadal, Christian Pulisic, and more.