David Moyes seems poised to make his fourth signing of the window as Adnan Januzaj looks set to join Sunderland on a season-long loan deal.
Januzaj, who has found first team opportunities limited since Moyes’ departure, is unsettled at United and feels ‘humiliated’ by the club after being told by new manager Jose Mourinho that he would not be in the 26-man first team squad. The player is believed to favour a permanent move away but United are reluctant to sell another player with promise after re-signing Paul Pogba at a catastrophic financial loss.
With 75 senior appearances (scoring 5 goals and providing 7 assists) for both United and Dortmund, Januzaj would be a welcome addition to a threadbare Sunderland squad, offering much needed creativity and pace. However, there are huge question marks surrounding Januzaj’s attitude- currently training with the U21s, Januzaj reportedly refuses to share a changing room with the youth players, instead arriving to training already changed and even changing in the toilet rather than with his U21 teammates. After his loan spell at Dortmund was also cut short in January, the player seems to have a somewhat temperamental nature and perhaps this could harm the Sunderland dressing room.
Januzaj is said to favour a permanent move to Italy or Spain but United are only willing to loan him to Sunderland in order to give him more Premier League experience. Whilst there is no doubt that Januzaj would add some quality to the Sunderland squad, the prospect of losing yet another successful loanee is something that all Sunderland fans are wary of, with many calling for the club to sign the player permanently.
Perhaps the most influential factor in convincing Januzaj to come to the Stadium of Light lies in the figure of David Moyes, who gave Januzaj his debut in 2013 and regularly involved him in the first team. Since Januzaj’s career has stalled since Moyes left Manchester, perhaps the young Belgian will seek to be reunited with the Scot in a bid to re-ignite a once promising career.
