The Man United and Borussia Dortmund swap deal that would hurt Everton and West Ham in January
Everton and West Ham are both reportedly interested in signing a Man United star in the January transfer window.
Man United will be heading into the January transfer window with a lot of optimism, as they are just one point off the top four in the Premier League. Reports have said that United want to sign a holding midfielder, with suggestions they’ve already made an approach to sign Nottingham Forest and England star Elliot Anderson.
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However, Anderson is expected to cost over £100m, so if United want to add any of their other targets as well, they will have to be sensible with their budget and potentially offload some names to add to their funds.
One player who has been linked with a move away is striker Joshua Zirkzee, who isn’t getting regular minutes under Ruben Amorim this season. He’s made just four Premier League appearances and has been linked to the likes of Everton and West Ham ahead of January.
Man United could swap Zirkzee for Adeyemi
The Red Devils may not want to sell Zirkzee to a rival in the Premier League, and so they could instead utilise him in a swap deal to land one of their other January targets. Recent reports have said that United are considering a move to sign Borussia Dortmund winger Karim Adeyemi, who is reportedly unhappy at the German club.
He has an estimated market value of £53m, and so United could offer Zirkzee in a swap, as Dortmund will likely want to replace Adeyemi if they were to sell him, and Zirkzee also plays as both a number 10 and a striker.
It would likely have to be a swap-plus-cash deal, as Zirkzee is estimated to be worth just around £25m, but it would make a deal for Adeyemi much more manageable for United, especially if they are to spend big on a midfielder such as Anderson.
The 23-year-old German international has made 14 appearances in all competitions for Dortmund this season, scoring three goals and providing three assists under manager Nico Kovac.
Everton and West Ham want Zirkzee
With a January move for the Dutchman looking very possible, there has been significant Premier League interest from clubs who want to add a new number nine in the January transfer window.
Both Everton and West Ham have been named as interested in Zirkzee, and they would both allow him to get more regular minutes in the hope that he could revive his chances to make the Netherlands’ World Cup squad in the summer.
Since joining Man United for £37.5m in 2024, Zirkzee has failed to find consistent form, scoring seven goals and providing three assists in 54 appearances under Erik Ten Hag and Ruben Amorim. It isn’t understood how much United would be willing to sell him for in January, but considering that his current value is estimated at £24.7m, it looks as though they would make a loss on him.