Adnan Januzaj in Limbo at Louis Van Gaal's Manchester United

Old Trafford may be called the Theatre of Dreams, but for Adnan Januzaj it has become a frustrating purgatory.

Handed just five starts in all competitions by Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal, the 19-year-old has not only been repeatedly overlooked by the club's new technical staff, he's been forgotten. As a result, a year's worth of positive, promising development has been laid to waste.

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This after a breakout campaign in which he was the silver lining to an otherwise disastrous season under former boss David Moyes—one that saw him burst into the first team and flash his otherworldly talent on an almost weekly basis.

He made 27 Premier League appearances in 2013-14, scored four goals (including a brace in a 2-1 win away to Sunderland), assisted on three others and managed to make a name for himself as one of Europe's up-and-coming stars, all in the space of nine months.

A spot in Belgium's 23-man World Cup squad was his reward, and he played the full 90 minutes of his country's 1-0 win over South Korea in Brazil.

At present, however, he can barely get a game, and it begs the question: Just what does Van Gaal have planned for him, if anything?

On Tuesday, the Dutchman was reported to have scuppered a loan move to Paris Saint-Germain, with the player's agent, Dirk de Vriese, telling Foot Mercato, as per the Mirror, that the Ligue 1 giants had been "interested" in his client and had "directly contacted Manchester United for information."

He added: "The coach considers him an important player for the squad. He is counting on everyone. It seems like a final decision. I don't think that will change."

But how does Van Gaal believe Januzaj to be an "important player"? The evidence of his team selections doesn't bear him out, and even he must acknowledge that regular minutes are vital to the development of a young player—especially one who had become accustomed to frequent starts under the previous regime, and typically excelled in them.

Keeping Januzaj stapled to the bench is certainly an odd message to send, and refusing to sanction a loan deal is an odder one still.

And if, as it seems, Van Gaal neither had nor has any plans for the playmaker, by not offering a loan the Belgian's market value diminishes by the day.

At this rate it would hardly be surprising if Januzaj demanded a permanent transfer in the summertime, and it's unlikely anyone would hold it against him.

Anything is better than the uncomfortable limbo he currently finds himself in.