Why Manchester United's Adnan Januzaj Is Still One of Europe's Brightest Talents

There was a time when Manchester United were seen to possess the brightest teenage talent in European football. After letting Paul Pogba slip from their grasp, they were steadfast in their determination to keep hold of this prodigy, too. Adnan Januzaj was the sport’s next best thing. 

Indeed, the Belgian was a shimmering prospect, providing the only highlight in what was a dismal season for United under David Moyes. If Januzaj was this good in a poor team, imagine how great he could be a better side. And so the Old Trafford side tied him down to a five-year contract as soon as they could.

Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images

Much has changed since then, however. Eighteen months have passed and Januzaj’s progress has stalled, spending the past six months on loan in the Bundesliga with Borussia Dortmund. Having failed to make much of an impact there too, he is now back at United—tail, not so much tucked but wrapped, around his legs.

But Januzaj should still be considered one of European football’s most promising young players. The past two years might not have followed the trajectory of his once steep upward arc—his talent might not shimmer as brightly any longer—but at the age of 20, the Belgian attacker might still become the player we all thought he would be.

In Germany, Januzaj’s attitude was questioned, although that is in some way understandable given the way his future at United came to an end so abruptly. At Dortmund, the Belgian’s development didn't just stall, it regressed. In hindsight, the decision to send him on loan there was in the worst interests of all parties.

"I never had the feeling Adnan was here with his whole heart, but rather that a part of him stayed in Manchester and compared everything with Man United," Borussia Dortmund boss Thomas Tuchel explained to Sport Bild upon the player’s return to England (h/t ESPN FC). "We were not able to help him let go of it. Sadly, he wasn't in it with the motivation and attitude you need to further yourself at this age.”

Matthew Ashton - AMA/Getty Images

Now that he’s back at United perhaps Januzaj will re-engage with his own individual development. With Louis van Gaal still in charge at Old Trafford, he might struggle to pick up where he left off at the end of the 2013/14 season immediately.

Januzaj is the kind of player who needs an arm around to shoulder to perform at his best, and it seems unlikely that he’ll get that from the Dutch coach. 

Of course, Van Gaal’s decision to cast off Januzaj in the final few days of the summer transfer window was bizarre in the first instance. The Belgian started four games in August, particularly impressing (and scoring the winner) in United’s second match of the season—away to Aston Villa. 

He was used as a No. 10 behind Wayne Rooney, with Van Gaal conducting his attacking line through the Belgian youngster. On the face of it, the United boss viewed Januzaj as a key member of his first-team squad—until he was cast out on loan, out of sight, out of mind. He just didn’t do what the United boss wanted, whatever that was. 

ADRIAN DENNIS/Getty Images

Van Gaal should ease off on Januzaj, though. It’s true that his progression might have been derailed, but for players of his age, that is something of a norm. Particularly when it comes to promising, young wingers, development can be staggered in its rhythm. The Belgium international is following the well-trodden path for such players.

Look at Cristiano Ronaldo, for instance. The Portuguese winger burst on to the scene upon his arrival in the Premier League, justifying the £12 million transfer fee Manchester United paid to Sporting Lisbon for him. His progress stagnated in the couple seasons that followed, though—just like Januzaj’s.

In fact, when Rooney and Ronaldo clashed at the 2006 World Cup—raising the possibility that one of the two could be sold as a result—United appeared likely to cast off the latter over the former.

Sir Alex Ferguson’s faith in the Portuguese player was repaid—and then some—in the years that followed, however, as Ronaldo become the club’s greatest player in the modern era. 

Januzaj almost certainly won’t emulate Ronaldo—given that the Portuguese winger will now go down as one of the greatest players of all time—but his success at Manchester United sets a precedent for the Belgian there. A stagnant player doesn’t always result in a finished player. Sometimes the learning curve can actually be of benefit. 

Even Jesse Lingard offers something of an example for Januzaj to take encouragement from. The attacker has only just forced his way into the first-team fold after 15 years with the Old Trafford club, proving himself a late-bloomer at 23. By that reckoning, Januzaj still has some time to prove his worth. 

Alex Livesey/Getty Images

What will be of greater concern to the player himself is that United seem to have moved on without him.

The Belgian was once considered the vanguard of the club’s next generation, but now hopes have been pinned on the likes of Lingard and Andreas Pereira instead. Januzaj has now become an afterthought at the club that once couldn’t stop thinking about him. 

"I believe in the talent of Adnan Januzaj,” insisted Van Gaal last week, per ESPN FC. “I said it would be very difficult to play matches in Dortmund and unfortunately I was right.”

The Dutchman’s remarks only serve to highlight the baffling reasoning for United sending Januzaj on loan in the first place. If Van Gaal believed it would be difficult for the Belgian to make an impression in the Bundesliga, why was he sent there?

No matter how Januzaj and United got to this point, the two must now find a way to draw from each other. The Belgian is still one of the brightest young players in the European game, and he should be given the time to show that at Old Trafford.