Having already signed Paddy McNair and Donald Love from his former side Man United, new Sunderland boss David Moyes once again looked to Old Trafford for fresh faces, with Belgian international Adnan Januzaj joining the Black Cats on a season-long loan.
Speaking about his move to the north east, Januzaj provided an insight into what he expects from himself, and how he hopes to become a fans favourite at the Stadium of Light:
“My job is to score goals and assist goals. The fans come to the stadium to enjoy football and watch players that make things happen, so I want to be one of those players and make them happy. David Moyes was key to me coming here and I appreciate the opportunity because I want to show people what I can do.”
The History
Born in Brussels, Belgium, Januzaj began his youth career with FC Brussels, before joining Anderlecht’s academy at the age of 10. He spent six years with the Belgian giants prior to moving to Man United at the age of 16 in March 2011.
Having impressed for the reserves during the 2012/13 campaign, winning the 2013 Denzil Haroun Reserve Team Player Of The Year award, Januzaj made his competitive debut under new United boss Moyes in the 2013 Community Shield against Wigan, coming on as a late substitute.
The young attacker was handed his Premier League debut a month later, again as a substitute, during a 2-0 win over Crystal Palace. His first start ironically came against Sunderland, with the Belgian scoring both goals in a 2-1 victory for United.
He ended the 2013/14 campaign with four strikes and as many assists from 27 league appearances, but under new United boss Louis van Gaal, Januzaj’s progress stalled, playing only 18 league matches in 2014/15, and failing to register any attacking returns.
There was some hope he could re-establish himself at Old Trafford at the start of last season, having scored the wining goal in a 1-0 win at Aston Villa in August, but the youngster was sent out on loan to German side Borussia Dortmund.
Januzaj failed to make an impression in the Bundesliga though, only mustering two assists in six appearances, before returning to Manchester in January. He remained out of favour under Van Gaal during the second half of last season, only managing three substitute appearances in the league.
After some confusion over whom Januzaj would represent at international level, he committed himself to Belgium ahead of the 2014 World Cup. He made his official debut against Tunisia in June 2014, but only featured once in Brazil. He has since struggled to get into the Belgian squad, and is currently stuck on six caps for his country.
The Prospects
Considering that Januzaj’s big breakthrough came under the tutelage of Moyes, it’s no surprise to see the two linking up once again.
Speaking about the Belgian, Moyes expressed his belief that Januzaj still has the potential to succeed at the highest level, but the time for excuses was fast running out:
“This boy can play two or three different positions, he’s got an ability to go past people, score goals, make goals. He’s got the talent to be a big, big player. I’ve said to Adnan, you need to stop blaming everyone else for what’s gone wrong. This loan’s a little bit of a risk. I’ve told Adnan to look at himself and realise that it’s down to him to change it; it can’t always be the manager’s fault or the coach’s fault that he hasn’t progressed.”
Januzaj looks capable of featuring in all three attacking midfield positions of the 4-2-3-1 formation used by Moyes in his first game in charge against Man City last Saturday.
The Belgian was stationed on the right wing when introduced off the bench after 64 minutes, and he encouragingly played a part in the build up to Jermain Defoe’s equaliser. The 21-year-old was also handed corner duties following his introduction, possibly adding a further string to his bow from a Fantasy perspective.
Januzaj looks set to be battling against the likes of Fabio Borini, Wahbi Khazri, Duncan Watmore, Jeremain Lens and Lynden Gooch for playing time at the Stadium of Light. Nonetheless, his history under Moyes indicates that, if he can find some consistency, Januzaj has the potential to nail down a regular starting berth.
During 2013/14, when Januzaj first broke through under Moyes, he notably averaged a key pass every 56 minutes, while he managed a goal attempt every 36.9 minutes. By comparison, neither Khazri (46.4), Lens (52.4) or Watmore (72.1) could better the Belgian for shots on goal last season.
Lens (75.7) and Watmore (77.6) both trailed Januzaj for key passes too, although Khazri did better the Belgian international in that regard, averaging a key pass every 41.3 minutes.
Januzaj’s price tag of just 5.5 in Fantasy Premier League (FPL) certainly makes him an interesting proposition, but we may have to wait until he gets a few starts under his belt before being able to fully assess his prospects.
Sunderland have four home fixtures (MID, sot, EVE, tot, CPL, WBA) in the next six Gameweeks, affording Januzaj a chance to stake a claim for inclusion on Moyes’ plans.
With Defoe currently the strongest option from the Sunderland attack, the path is clear for Januzaj to emerge as the leading midfield option on Wearside. His price tag is certainly conducive to that becoming a reality, and if his Black Cats debut is anything to go by, it may not take Moyes too long before he can bring the best out of a player that was once described by Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville as having the potential to become one of the best players in the world.
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