Keep or Dump: Deciding the Fate of Manchester United’s Loaned Players
As the 2016-2017 season winds down, five Manchester United players out on loan are set to come face-to-face with their Old Trafford fates once again this summer.
Unlike other powerhouses such Chelsea and Manchester City, Manchester United’s list of players out on loan this season is rather limited. The attention on the team’s young players has grown following first-team appearances by some last season, as well as the recent success of United’s reserve teams.
Five players are currently on loan spells that end in May, not counting James Wilson, who returned from loan in January. Behold your 2016-2017 United players on loan, and the suggested fate for each of them for this upcoming season:
Sam Johnstone
It feels like Johnstone has been around forever at this point. The 24-year-old is currently on his ninth loan spell in four seasons since being called up from the reserves in 2011, this time at Aston Villa.
After struggling to find playing time, Johnstone has solidified the starting spot for the Villains. Since his spell began in January, Johnstone has kept seven cleans sheets in 17 matches. Yet his future at United may not hinge so much on his performance, but on the fate of the myriad of keepers who saturate United’s goalkeeper corps.
As was evident in his short stay with United last semester, Johnstone will find it difficult to take away playing time from Sergio Romero and David De Gea. De Gea’s situation is ever-changing. Romero is under contract until 2018, and youngster Joel Pereira seems to be poised to be the third-stringer.
That being said, Aston Villa reportedly has interest in buying Johnstone outright, providing a much better opportunity to nail down a starting job.
Veredict: Dump
Cameron Borthwick-Jackson
Back in December, FourFourTwo reported Cameron Borthwick-Jackson was told he would be a “top player” by Jose Mourinho himself. Yet Borthwick-Jackson, one of the darlings of last season’s youth movement, has struggled mightily in his stint at Wolverhampton this season.
The young left back has only seen action in six Championship matches all season. He lost out on the starting job to Matt Doherty, a natural right back.
This season has not proven to be the solidification of Borthwick-Jackson’s status as a first-team left back option. Based on FourFourTwo’s story, however, it seems Mourinho has him in his future plans at Old Trafford.
Veredict: Keep
Adnan Januzaj
Four seasons into his professional career, Adnan Januzaj has gone from being an exciting young prospect to an enigma for United fans.
The Belgian was never able to solidify a spot with the first team under David Moyes, Louis Van Gaal, or Jose Mourinho. Van Gaal sent him out on loan to Borussia Dortmund last season.
On a team where young players are groomed and developed to be first-team ready, Januzaj only managed six appearances before returning unceremoniously to Old Trafford. This season, his old manager Moyes brought him to Sunderland for the season. 21 matches in, Januzaj has no goals and three assists.
Januzaj’s United prospects look more bleak by the second. Amid reports of a United exit this summer, a change of scenery, without the scrutiny of Manchester and the Premier League as a whole, may suit him well.
Veredict: Dump
Andreas Pereira
Andreas Pereira is reportedly determined to return to United for good next season. Of the five United players loaned out this season, Pereira is the one United fans can look forward the most to returning next season.
The Brazilian has played in 28 matches for La Liga side Granada, the most of all United youngsters out on loan, netting five goals accompanied by three assists. Granada fans have enjoyed his quick change of pace and technical prowess all over the midfield, earning him a key role in the starting XI.
His pace, creativity, and versatility can come in very handy for a United team which tends to become stagnant on offense. Look for Pereira to begin fulfilling his potential at Old Trafford next season.
Veredict: Keep
Guillermo Varela
Guillermo Varela’s loan stint at Eintracht Frankfurt took a nasty turn very early on. The Uruguayan right back suffered a torn ankle ligament into a Bundesliga match against Darmstadt on September 10. After returning to the pitch in February, complications with one of the screws inserted into his ankle forced him out of competition yet again.
Varela may most likely get another chance to gain first-team experience in Frankfurt or another side next season. Depending on the future of Matteo Darmian, a spot on United’s squad is not too far-fetched.
Veredict: Keep