Sunderland are reportedly interested in taking Manchester United starlet Adnan Januzaj on loan. The 20-year-old struggled for game time last season under Louis van Gaal and has set his sights on a loan move to ensure he gets as much Premier League experience as possible.

The Belgian international faces strong competition in the position he plays. Manchester United possess many attacking midfielders and could be set to complete the signing of Pedro this weeek. Players such as Juan Mata, Memphis Depay and Ashley Young keep Januzaj out of the side, as well as a whole host of others who are coming through United’s ranks and impressing, Andreas Pereira is a strong example of this.

There have been rumours about Sunderland’s possible interest in Januzaj throughout the summer, with Everton also keeping tabs on the Belgian. But several sources this week have claimed that the Black Cats are the favourites to land Januzaj in a season long loan deal.

Sunderland have a good reputation when it comes to making the best out of United youngsters. Danny Welbeck and Jonny Evans both benefited from a loan to the side, and went on to establish themselves at United.

Signing Adnan Januzaj would be a big move for Sunderland, who have already been relatively active in this summers’ window by bringing in Coates, Kaboul, Lens and Matthews for a total of around £15 million.

As for United, they’d be loaning out a player who has sublime potential, but equally a player who is desperate for game time in order to develop.