United set to complete stunning U-turn ahead of January window, not many saw this coming – report

Manchester United ended Crystal Palace’s 12-game unbeaten run at home with a stunning come-from-behind 2-1 win on Sunday. The three points did not look like they were coming at the end of the first half, but a stunning turnaround courtesy of two unlikely stars saw the Red Devils end their recent poor run against the Eagles. Joshua Zirkzee and Mason Mount pulled the proverbial rabbit out of the hat, with the Dutchman’s impact praised by Ruben Amorim and skipper Bruno Fernandes at the end of the game. The former Bologna ace started for only the second time this season, and rumours have raged on regarding a potential January exit. Match-winning impact sees United change their minds AS Roma were reportedly in pole position, while there was also plenty of interest from within the Premier League and Spain. The United No.11 was himself keen to depart in order to win back his place in the Netherlands’ World Cup squad. But he did hint at being happy at Old Trafford after his efforts at Selhurst Park. And now, as per Talksport, the 20-time English league champions are likely to keep a hold of the versatile forward beyond the January window. CompetitionAppsGoalsAssistsYellowY-RRedMinutes Premier League610000262′ EFL Cup1001008′ Total710100270′ Zirkzee stats from Transfermarkt With AFCON departures on the cards, and with Amorim’s resources stretched thin, the club will look to keep him onboard till the end of the season. Interestingly, Teamtalk have added that the United head coach is really impressed with the Netherlands international’s impact and he believes Joshua Zirkzee has the tools to succeed this season following extensive one-on-one coaching. “Ruben Amorim has made it clear to the Manchester United board that he does not want to offload Joshua Zirkzee in January and believes the Dutchman has now earned the right to prove his worth to the club. Amorim’s coaching has helped Joshua Zirkzee “Amorim has always admired Zirkzee on a technical level, but has been unsure how to fit him into the team’s plan. “However, after spending a lot of time coaching the player and working on his game in a programme designed to not just work out his role for the club but how they could unlock his full potential within the current set-up, United and Amorim are now starting to see their efforts bear fruit.” With Benjamin Sesko out for a month, Joshua Zirkzee will likely get more opportunities to impress. Now it is up to him to keep up the same level of performance. His quality has never been in doubt. Just how he fits into the overall puzzle. More goals will likely end that debate as well. Feature image Michael Steele via Getty Images The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social Ayantan Chowdhury After failing to become a professional footballer, Ayantan switched to the next best thing: writing about the greatest football club in the world. He has extensive sports journalism experience, having worked for over 10 years in the Indian sports media industry, writing for the biggest newspapers and websites. Currently an editor at The Peoples Person. You can follow him on X: @ayantanc_25