Ruud Gullit says new Manchester United signing made wrong decision in joining club

Ruud Gullit fears fellow Dutchman Joshua Zirkzee may have made an error in joining Manchester United.

Zirkzee arrived at Old Trafford from Bologna this summer after being linked with a number of clubs after an impressive season in Serie A.

The young striker made a good start to life in a Manchester United shirt, popping up with a winner on Premier League debut against Fulham, but has struggled to impact upon games since amid wider issues for the club.

Manager Erik ten Hag is again under severe pressure as speculation mounts about his future, with yet more instability likely at the club.

Gullit believes that Manchester United has become a club at which it is “hard to do well”, and thinks Zirkzee might have been better served moving to AC Milan.

“[Joshua] Zirkzee would have done better to say yes to Milan instead of moving to Manchester United in England,” Gullit said to Italian newspaper Gazzetto della Sport. “Now, instead he is at a club that has so many problems. He’s good, no doubt about that, but at United, it’s hard to do well.”

Zirkzee has started regularly under Ten Hag in the absence of Rasmus Hojlund, who missed the start of the season with a hamstring injury.

A member of Ronald Koeman’s squad at Euro 2024, the 23-year-old made his debut for the Netherlands in the quarter-final win over Turkey.