Adnan Januzaj was one of the sensational names to come from the Manchester United academy in the last few years. He played a major role in helping David Moyes remain at the club for at least nine months. His form in the solitary campaign for Moyes was a bright aspect for Manchester United. Just when it seemed that he would build on this excellent start under Louis van Gaal – a manager famed for developing in players, his career has drifted off the wrong path and he is now at Sunderland on a loan deal until the end of the campaign.
He has been recently showing signs of recovering to those former levels with some bright performances for the relegation-threatened outfit. It has not gone unnoticed with French outfit Lyon keen on signing the player even as early as in this January transfer window, according to the reports from L’Équipe. In order to do so, United will have to cut short Januzaj’s loan spell with the North East outfit. The Belgian youngster is yet to score a goal in his 13 Premier League appearances for the Black Cats, yet Lyon believes that they will be able to take the player to the next level.
It remains to be seen if Januzaj will appreciate the interest from the French club, who will be able to offer him a dominant platform to build upon. The 21-year-old has certainly been a regular for Sunderland this season and has already made 15 appearances in all competitions. Even though he has come up with only one goal and an assist in this run of games, it is largely seen as a result of playing in a team which scores only when Jermain Defoe finds the back of the net.
This is not the first loan spell for Januzaj, as they youngsters spent last season on loan at Borussia Dortmund in Germany. It was not a successful loan move for the youngster as he played in only 12 games throughout the campaign. Januzaj has already been able to match the total number of games he has played, but with half the season left to go. The objective of the loan move was to help the player recapture his form and it seems that the objective has been met.
Januzaj may not be keen on staying at the Stadium of Light with the club battling against relegation and heading for the drop. A move to the French club, who have a great chance of playing in the Champions League next season, sounds a whole lot appealing. David Moyes is unlikely to let the player leave in the middle of the campaign with rumours surrounding the future of star striker Jermain Defoe, but he may not have much of a say in this regard.
