Serie A giants open talks to sign Man Utd star

Serie A giants Roma have opened negotiations with Manchester United to sign striker Joshua Zirkzee during the winter transfer window, according to Sky Italia.

The Netherlands international was a fringe player for the Red Devils at the start of the campaign with Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesko preferred to lead the line.

Injuries to Cunha and Sesko have recently contributed to Zirkzee starting in three of the last four matches, but his situation could return to normalcy pretty soon.

Cunha is back in the mix after a minor head injury. Sesko is expected to return into the squad against Bournemouth after a brief absence with a knee problem.

This could hamper Zirkzee's minutes in the coming months. Roma are prepared to offer an escape route with a loan deal with an option to buy next summer.

The Giallorossi are ready to pay around €5m upfront with an obligation to buy for €35m if they qualify for the Champions League next season.

Roma were top of Serie A two games ago. They have dropped to fourth after back-to-back losses, but remain two points ahead of fifth-placed Bologna.