Adnan Januzaj will remain at Manchester United unless a striker is bought in the remaining days of the transfer window, which could see him loaned out.
Januzaj could leave United if new striker comes in
The Daily Mail report that the Belgian youngster will stay at Wayne Rooney's back-up but if Louis van Gaal brings in another back-up or a striking partner to Rooney, he could be loaned out to another Premier League side.
There are probably not too many that would look back on David Moyes' tenure at Manchester United with much fondness. Probably even fewer that would thank him for it. One person, however, that is more than likely very grateful to Moyes is Januzaj.
Januzaj had only one year left on his contract when Moyes took the helm, and Moyes made it a priority to tie the youngster down. Memories of Paul Pogba were still fresh and all credit to Moyes in convincing Januzaj to sign after placing great faith in him. Sir Alex Ferguson had identified him as a player naming him as an unused substitute in his final game in charge at West Brom when Januzaj had only just turned 18.
It was Moyes though that gave Januzaj his real breakthrough the following season. He involved Januzaj in every game from the outset all as a substitute, but when he gave Januzaj his first start against Sunderland away not many would have predicted the impact he would have. With United making a stuttering start to the season and a goal down with time running out, Januzaj scored two sublime goals and announced his arrival.
He was one of the bright spots in Moyes' catastrophic reign and made a total of 36 appearences with plenty of starts. However, after committing his international future to Belgium and making appearences in the 2014 World Cup finals, his career has hit a bit of a roadblock.
Sunderland linked with Januzaj previously
Louis van Gaal's introduction as United manager was always going to spell trouble for some of the underperforming United stars. Whilst he didn't necessarily fit into that category, an influx of new signings such as Angel Di Maria, meant that Januzaj became a periphery figure in the Dutchman's first season in charge. Despite figuring in this pre-season, it seemed likely that he may be allowed to go out on loan with Sunderland being a possible destination.
However, after missing out on the first game of the season, he has been handed a start in the last three games, and on his re-introduction he scored the winner at Villa Park. After that game though, far from heaping praise on Januzaj, van Gaal pointed out that there are things he could still do better. So, things still seem in the balance.
The Daily Mail are reporting that Januzaj will remain at the club, but if a striker is bought in the remaining days of the transfer window he could still end up being loaned out. It’s a tough situation that Januzaj finds himself in. He has been playing as the backup striker to Wayne Rooney, a position that he has not really played at all in his senior career, generally being deployed as a winger. That in itself is another challenge for him to get used to.
The constant speculation must also have a mental effect on him, as we have seen with David De Gea and more recently Saido Berahino of West Bromwich Albion. If their managers are to be believed neither are in the right frame of mind to play amid speculation. It is questionable how much Januzaj has come on since his spectacular introduction, but he seems to be growing physically and has undoubted amounts of skill and vision.
It’s hard to know if a loan move will benefit him, but with players like Marouane Fellaini, Ander Herrara and even Andreas Perreira waiting in the wings then if another forward is signed then certainly it would be the best situation all round if he could get regular game time at a decent club. In a weeks’ time, we will all know his fate. Keep the faith.