Adnan Januzaj on brink of ending Manchester United nightmare as winger closes in on £9.8million move to Real Sociedad

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Adnan Januzaj's Manchester United career is coming to an end with the Belgium winger on the brink of joining Real Sociedad in a £9.8million deal.

Januzaj’s departure from Old Trafford will complete a dramatic fall from grace for a player who was the brightest young prospect at United when he signed a lucrative five-year contract in 2013.

The 22-year-old never lived up to the expectations, however, and has spent much of the last two seasons out on loan at Sunderland and Borussia Dortmund.

Belgian winger Adnan Januzaj's Manchester United career is coming to an end

It remains to be seen if United include a buyback option in the deal with Sociedad, which is expected to be confirmed on Wednesday, but it’s a sign of his marked decline that no-one at the club will be surprised to see him go.

Jose Mourinho is in the market for a new winger and wants Inter Milan’s Ivan Perisic, but had little interest in giving Januzaj an opportunity to show that he still has something to offer United.

Despite claiming last summer that Januzaj had a future at Old Trafford when he joined Sunderland on loan, Mourinho admitted in April that he had made a decision about the player. It seemed clear then that Januzaj’s United days were numbered.

He had an uninspiring season at the Stadium of Light under his old United boss David Moyes as the club finished bottom of the Premier League and were relegated. Januzaj scored just once in 28 games, in the EFL Cup against Shrewsbury.

The 22-year-old has spent much of the last two seasons on loan away from Old Trafford

That followed an even more disappointing loan spell at Dortmund after Januzaj joined the Bundesliga club against the advice of United manager Louis van Gaal. 

He didn’t start a single league game and the season-long arrangement was torn up after just five months with Dortmund coach Thomas Tuchel criticising the player’s attitude.

It was a far cry from the fanfare that greeted the announcement of Januzaj’s five-year deal in October 2013. 

Under pressure to deliver some good news after a disappointing start to the post-Ferguson era and frustrating first transfer window under Moyes, United gave the teenager a lucrative contract amid interest from Paris Saint-Germain.

Januzaj marked his full Premier League debut in September 2013 with a brace at Sunderland

David Moyes handed Januzaj a lucrative five-year deal to ward off interest from PSG

That came just two weeks after Januzaj marked his full Premier League debut for United with a two-goal performance at Sunderland. 

Roy Hodgson even considered trying to persuade Januzaj to play for England at the 2014 World Cup before the young winger opted for Belgium, his country of birth.

Those days seem rather distant now as he sets about rebuilding his once promising career in Spain.