Manchester United would risk shooting themselves in the foot by proceeding with a swap deal involving Joshua Zirkzee, who is reportedly wanted by Juventus.
Zirkzee has struggled to settle in at United since joining them from Bologna in the summer. He has only managed four goals in all competitions and was jeered off when he was substituted in the first half of United’s recent loss to Newcastle.
Since then, reports have suggested that United would be willing to let the Dutchman leave after just six months at Old Trafford. A return to Italy has been mooted, with Juventus thought to be interested in bringing him to the Allianz Stadium.
They have already submitted a swap offer which would see Dusan Vlahovic move in the other direction, according to talkSPORT. The 24-year-old has been linked with a Premier League move for several years without ever making the switch to England.
Vlahovic has scored 12 goals for Juventus in all competitions this season, making him an upgrade on Zirkzee in terms of attacking output. However, it could be argued that such a move would cause more problems for United than it would solve.
While his scoring record for Juventus is impressive, Vlahovic is often perceived as contributing in a limited capacity beyond his goals. As a result, he could struggle to make a positive impact in games where the Red Devils are not flowing freely.
He is also not as prolific as his output would suggest, ranking second in Serie A in terms of big chances missed with 12. Even more importantly, a move for Vlahovic would risk wrecking United’s hopes of landing Viktor Gyokeres from Sporting.
The prolific Swedish forward has long been tipped to follow Ruben Amorim to Old Trafford, but the arrival of Vlahovic could have a knock-on effect that would reduce the likelihood of him joining the Red Devils.
It seems likely that Vlahovic would demand assurances over his playing time, meaning United would be unable to guarantee Gyokeres a starring role without breaking one of those promises.
He could be more inclined to choose a team like Arsenal or Barcelona, where he would be almost certain to play every single week, rather than being forced to rotate with Vlahovic at United.
Only time will tell how the situation plays out, with the Red Devils at risk of causing a headache for themselves if they decide to swap Zirkzee with Vlahovic.
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