Man United's wonderkid, who had an X-rated training ground battle with Erik ten Hag, has confirmed his departure.
Manchester United have yet to announce the sale of academy graduate Zidane Iqbal, but he appears to have taken it upon himself to make it plain that he is leaving.
Zidane Iqbal looks to have revealed his exit from Manchester United after a social media conversation with a fan.
The promising young midfielder praised a fan page that wished him well with his next transfer, effectively announcing his departure from Old Trafford before the team does. His remarks came just days after rumours surfaced alleging that United had accepted a £1 million offer from FC Utrecht.
Iqbal's medical with the Dutch club is reported to have already taken place, bringing his 11-year stint with the Red Devils to a conclusion. At the time, he created history by becoming the first British South Asian to play for Manchester United.
However, things were not always so upbeat; Iqbal was once the target of a foul-mouthed rant from manager Erik ten Hag after the Dutchman singled him out during a training session. "Keep the ball on the floor... Zidane!" yelled the United manager. Hey! Maintain possession of the ball! F***ing nonsense!"
The writing appeared to be on the wall for the 20-year-old last season, when Iqbal was not granted a single minute of senior competitive football during the season, despite the Red Devils getting to the final rounds of all cup tournaments.
Iqbal had told people at the top of the United hierarchy that he wanted to move out on loan during the January transfer window, but he was compelled to stay.
However, it appears that the time for a new task has arrived. Iqbal is about to sign a four-year contract with United, and while there is a sell-on provision in the contract, there is no buyback option.
Many Manchester United fans expected Iqbal to be loaned out, but his time at Old Trafford appears to have come to an end.
Iqbal responded "Thank you," with a heart emoji, to the post that said it 'hurts' to see him leave the club, but the player has yet to publish a parting note on his own page.
Though he didn't make as many appearances in a United shirt as he would have liked, Iqbal was a popular character among Red Devils fans.
Following three appearances for the Iraq national team, notably one outstanding performance against Russia, numerous United supporters flooded the club's social media platforms calling for Iqbal to be given more first-team opportunities.
Instead, his next experience of competitive football will almost certainly come from a completely other club.
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