Leicester City Opinion: It should be a no-brainer for the Foxes to reignite their interest in Adnan Janujaz
According to claims from Spanish source AS, as cited by Leicestershire Live, Leicester City had a €20 million bid for Belgian winger Adnan Janujaz turned down by Real Sociedad back in the January transfer window.
Leicestershire Live understands that the Foxes wanted the 24-year-old last summer as a replacement for Riyad Mahrez, who signed for Man City in a club-record deal.
The report doesn’t mention whether Leicester City are looking to reignite their interest in the Belgian ace, with Brendan Rodgers now at the helm of affairs. However, it is understood that the manager is in the market for a new left-footed right-sided wide player and there is every possibility that the Foxes might go back in for the Janujaz this summer.
Leicestershire Live also suggests that the Foxes would need to come up with a bid in excess of €20 million to have a chance at striking a deal for the 24-year-old former Man United academy product.
Janujaz endured an injury-stricken campaign at Real Sociedad last term but he still managed to chip in with 2 goals and 4 assists in 24 appearances across all competitions. While those numbers do not look great on paper, the 24-year-old showed strong signs of promise whenever he was on the field, and he would probably have done a lot better had it not been for those injury woes.
The 24-year-old, who has 11 caps for Belgium at the senior international level, rose through the youth ranks at Anderlecht and Man United before making his first-team debut for the Red Devils back in the 2013-14 season under manager David Moyes.
Regarded as a talented youngster with a lot of potential, Janujaz was an instant hit in his debut season at Old Trafford but he failed to nail down a regular first-team role in the subsequent campaigns.
The Belgian’s limited opportunities at United saw him spend time on loan at Sunderland at Borussia Dortmund before he finally joined Real Sociedad in a permanent deal back in the summer of 2017. Despite his time in the La Liga being blighted due to injuries, Janujaz has accumulated 6 goals and 10 assists in 59 appearances for Sociedad in all competitions.
To put things into perspective, Janujaz continues to be highly-rated across Europe but he hasn’t quite realised his full potential just yet, and at 24, it is time for him to take his game to the next level and gradually enter his prime years.
However, he is an incredibly talented player and Leicester need not be put off by his mediocre returns this past season, meaning that the Foxes would do themselves a world of good by reigniting their interest in the 24-year-old Belgian this summer in a bid to put an end to their search for a new left-footed right-winger.
An elegant and stylish left-footed player noted for his good turn of pace, quick acceleration, exceptional close control, silky dribbling skills, creativity and vision, Janujaz perfectly fits the bill at the King Power Stadium. He might not be lightning quick but he makes up for it with his eye for key passes and excellent crossing ability from the wide areas.
Leicester City brought in Rachid Ghezzal from Monaco last summer in a bid to replace Mahrez but the Algerian hasn’t been able to get to grips with the competitive and physical nature of the Premier League.
Marcus Albrighton continues to be a good enough squad player but one cannot help but feel that the Foxes need a more lethal and creative right-winger if they are to challenge for a European spot next term.
From the player’s perspective, Janujaz certainly deserves a second shot at the Premier League and the prospect of a return to English football should appeal to the Belgian. Leicester already have a bunch of highly-talented youngsters in their ranks and Janujaz might as well draw inspiration from the rapid development of his compatriot Youri Tielemans on his loan spell at the King Power Stadium.
To Read More Leicester City News, Click Here:- Latest Leicester City News
Leicester need to ensure that they have all their bases covered prior to the upcoming season and going back in the market for Adnan Janujaz certainly makes a lot of sense for the club. This is a deal that suits both parties and the Foxes could have a gem on their hands if the Belgian goes on to fulfil his promise in the years to follow.
