Why Loan Move Will Be Tonic Adnan Januzaj Needs for Manchester United Future

When Marouane Fellaini scored Manchester United's opening goal against Queens Park Rangers on Saturday, he ran to the bench to hug his friend, Adnan Januzaj.

Asked about this afterwards he said to MUTV (h/t ManUtd.com): 

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He hasn't played a lot this season, so I like to look after him.

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Januzaj's season has been a bust so far. He has started just four of United's league games, came on as a substitute seven times, not scored and provided no assists.

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His statistical output has dipped significantly, an average 0.8 key passes per game to last season's 1.1. Crucially, his number of dribbles has more than halved, from 1.9 per game last time out to 0.8. One of the defining experiences of watching Januzaj in 2013/14 was seeing how difficult it was to get him off the ball, as his exceptional balance compensated for his slight frame.

That has rarely been the experience of watching him this season.

Paul Clennam of Goal.com reported on Monday that: 

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The 19-year-old is understood to be upset by his current situation and is keen to play regular football elsewhere, with David Moyes' Real Sociedad and Aston Villa having made enquiries in recent weeks.

Porto are another club to have been linked with a move in the British press, but Januzaj has been told to wait until nearer the end of the transfer window, which closes on February 2, before a final decision is made.

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Januzaj, in theory, should be too good to be sent on loan. Certainly the dynamic, exciting young forward of last season would be a lift to United's attack, which has lacked for dynamism in recent weeks, particularly with the absence of Angel Di Maria. However, it would appear that the youngster has not impressed Van Gaal enough to warrant a place in the starting XI.

This was particularly visible for United's trip to Yeovil, surely a game that would have been ideal to help Januzaj rebuild his apparently faltering confidence. His absence from that XI was notable, and was followed up by him losing his place in the squad against Southampton on 11 January.

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That absence was not largely commented upon given that Radamel Falcao was also left out of the 18, but it is indicative of how quickly, and how far Januzaj's stock has apparently fallen.

It is hard to blame Van Gaal for this. Januzaj has done little to shine when he has been called upon. Admittedly, the systems favoured by the Dutchman have done few favours for the Belgian.

A brief dalliance with 4-3-3 (or 4-1-4-1) versus West Bromwich Albion, Chelsea, Manchester City and Crystal Palace gave him his four starts. Januzaj was not particularly impressive in any of those games, but nor were some of United's more storied attackers. Like Di Maria, Januzaj suffered from Robin van Persie's poor run of form—with the striker appearing more static than he would typically be.

He has often appeared to make the wrong decisions this season, shooting when a pass would have been better. This could be a interpreted as sign that he is overly keen to make a positive impression.

Clint Hughes/Associated Press

One thing that is clear is that Van Gaal's 3-5-2 offers no obvious place for Januzaj. He is certainly no wing-back and there are more senior players ahead of him in each of the other attacking roles. Given the Belgian's obvious talent, it would be a huge mistake for United to lose the player's services for the long run.

It is a risk to let him leave even in the short term, as his ability could make him a useful asset during the run-in. However, if he is not going to play regularly, his development will be badly hindered, something for which both club and player will suffer.

Regular football at a high level will offer Januzaj the chance to continue to learn the game. It will offer him the chance to rebuild his confidence. It could offer him the chance to prove to Van Gaal that if he ever does make the switch to 4-3-3, there is a ready-made wide forward available to him.

In short—assuming Van Gaal will not change his stance on Januzaj and play him more often—a loan move is the tonic he needs for his Manchester United future.

All statistics per WhoScored.com.