Manchester United transfer news: Louis van Gaal won't recall Adnan Januzaj despite Borussia Dortmund frustration

Januzaj is struggling to see regular first-team football at Dortmund during a season-long loan spell

Jack de Menezes
Saturday 21 November 2015 14:07 GMT
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Adnan Januzaj is currently playing for Borussia Dortmund on loan
Adnan Januzaj is currently playing for Borussia Dortmund on loan (Getty Images)

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Louis van Gaal will not seek to bring Adnan Januzaj back to Manchester United from Borussia Dortmund when the January transfer window opens despite his injury crisis and lack of attacking options.

United are without both Wayne Rooney and Anthony Martial for today’s Premier League fixture with Watford, with Van Gaal’s only strike options ruled out with illness and injury respectively. Marouane Fellaini has been Van Gaal’s go-to man whenever he has been short on strikers, but the Belgian is also sidelined with a calf strain, meaning Memphis Depay was needed to lead the attack.

Having allowed Robin van Persie, Radamel Falcao and Javier Hernandez all leave the club in the summer, United appear short on options in attack, with their only other option being the unfit James Wilson.

However, Van Gaal will not seek to bring 20-year-old Januzaj back to Old Trafford even though the Belgium international is currently spending his time on the substitutes’ bench having failed to break into the first-team.

"I think it is not a loan for three months because he is loaned in Germany and in Germany they don't know that system, that you can give him back, which in England is usual," Van Gaal said on Friday.

"Now he doesn't play but he has the talent to play. I am certain he has the talent to play but he has to learn a lot of things. Talent is important but so is the character to develop your talent. And he can learn that.

"He has to compete with higher-level players and I want him to play all the matches and that is why I want to play him also in the Premier League but he chose for Borussia Dortmund."

Depay appeared to justify Van Gaal’s faith in his current crop of players, as the Netherlands international needed just 11 minutes to open the scoring for United at Vicarage Road.

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