Adnan Januzaj rose through the ranks Manchester United to make 63 first-team appearances for the Red Devils – but his career didn’t take off in the way a former Old Trafford star thought it would
Adnan Januzaj was once told he was the ‘best young player’ Robin van Persie had ever seen by the Manchester United icon – but he never quite hit the heights and is today playing for La Liga relegation strugglers and worth just £1million.
The Belgian star joined the United academy in 2011 and worked his way up through the ranks, making 37 appearances for the Under-21s team, scoring nine goals and registering a further 12 assists before getting his breakthrough. Januzaj then stepped up into the first team in the 2013/14 season under Sir Alex Ferguson’s successor, David Moyes, making an instant impact and wowing his teammates with his performances.
Van Persie, who was playing as a striker for United at the time of Januzaj’s rise to success, was one of the stars heaping praise on the young winger – with the Dutchman even claiming that he was the best young player at the club.
Speaking to the Manchester United website, Van Persie said: ” Over the years, I’ve seen so many young players, and I can honestly say that of all the young players I’ve seen, he is right up there in the top one or two.”
The former Premier League winner even compared Januzaj’s style to his own as a youngster and noted that he saw “something special” in the winger. Van Persie added: “When I go back 10 years to when I was quite young, I see similar attributes. He’s confident in a good way. He’s not too bothered with the whole occasion or the pressure of the games.
“I was very confident as well and I see some stuff in him and the choices he makes that I made when I was younger as well. But he’s not the new van Persie, he’s the new Adnan. He’s a great player and I’m a great fan of his.
“I thought earlier in pre-season that he has something special. He will give Manchester United a great bunch of goals and great games. He’s a special player.”
However, despite making 63 appearances for United and scoring five goals for the club, Januzaj did not grow into a key player at Old Trafford despite Van Persie’s high hopes. He did get some success under Moyes, but subsequent managers, Louis van Gaal and Jose Mourinho, did not see the same potential, and he eventually left the club.
Following successful loan stints at Dortmund and Sunderland, Januzaj left United and signed for Real Sociedad on a five-year deal worth £7.1million (€8.5m) in 2017.
He forged a decent career for himself in Spain, making 168 appearances for Sociedad, scoring 23 goals and assisting 22 times in all competitions, but was far from the world-beater Van Persie envisioned. Januzaj won the Copa del Rey with Sociedad in the 2019/20 season and was also part of the Belgium squad that secured third place at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.
After being released by Real Sociedad at the end of the 2021/22 season, Januzaj signed a four-year deal with Sevilla in 2022, and he remains there to this day, though is currently on loan at La Liga strugglers Las Palmas.
The 30-year-old winger’s career appears to be in decline, with his transfer value dwindling to just over £1m (€1.2m) as per TransferMarkt. Injuries have disrupted his campaign, reducing him to just 12 appearances.
Las Palmas are currently in the midst of a relegation fight, sitting in 19th place two points off safety. Januzaj has netted twice and registered just one assist for the club but is back fit again.
Despite going on to enjoy some success and still playing top-flight football in Europe, the Belgian never quite went on to establish himself as one of the top wingers around like he threatened to do during his fledgling days at United.