It’s hard to always stay motivated. Some days, you just want to pick up that book you’ve been meaning to read – you can carbon date the gathered dust to a time period of roughly six months or so. It’d feel nice to not have your cuppa get cold while you’re busy in an elaborate game of fetch that we call our working lives.
Sunderland have made full use of David Moyes’ sparse contacts at Old Trafford to ward off interest from erstwhile European giants, AC Milan, according to Gazzetta dello Sport, to offer Adnan Januzaj another lifeline in the Premier League. However, according to the BBC, the erstwhile best young player in the world, wants a permanent move to the Stadium of Light.
Adnan Januzaj, probably, suffered from the same crippling existentialism for the better part of the past year or so. Football is a bit more unforgiving, and infinitely more fickle than other full-time jobs. His star has waned, his stock has fallen, his staunchest supporters feel he’s a slacker, and Jose Mourinho with utter disdain has taken his coveted number 11 shirt (once wore by Giggs) and given it to Tony Martial, and shipped him off to train with the reserves – as blatant a pink slip as they come. A far cry from the time when FA were courting the new-found darling of Manchester United to take up the English cause as his adopted national team.
The Belgian international has since made a staggering total of six appearances for his country and failed to feature in their most recent major tournament. His loan spell at Borussia Dortmund was as anti-climactic as a 2-kilometer egg in Pokémon Go; featuring just the 6 times as accusals of prima donna complex were leveled his way and his season-long loan was terminated by the stiff-upper-lipped Thomas Tuchel in early January.
For all his apparent lack of application, the talent is undoubtedly there, somewhere. With that in mind, Manchester United, if reports are to be believed, will turn down any option of Sunderland having an option-to-buy clause fit in to take effect at the end of the potential loan spell. This is to the effect, that the 2nd most successful club in England avoids another faux pas where they would have to pay through their noses, in the unlikely scenario that the Anderlecht prodigy hits Paul Pogba levels.
David Moyes, the newly-installed Sunderland boss, looks like is backing himself for the challenge to help Adnan reach the dizzying heights of his breakthrough season. The question is, will Adnan Januzaj help himself?
