Report: West Ham want to sign Adnan Januzaj, eight years after Moyes compared him to Rooney

By Shamanth Jayaram

According to Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo, West Ham United are interested in signing Adnan Januzaj this summer.

David Moyes has done a truly remarkable job at the London Stadium over the last two years. When the Irons brought him back, many expected them to go down, but the Scot has turned the Hammers into a fantastic side.

West Ham made it all the way into the semi-final of the Europa League last season, while despite a terrible end to the campaign that saw them win just one of their final seven games, they managed to finish seventh.

The Irons will be in the UEFA Conference League next season and Moyes will fancy his side’s chances of winning the competition. For that to happen, he’ll need to sign a few top-quality players. Could Januzaj be one of them?

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West Ham want to sign Adnan Januzaj on a free transfer

When he burst onto the scene at Manchester United over a decade ago, Januzaj was viewed as the next big thing in world football. He was even compared by some to Cristiano Ronaldo.

Moyes really trusted Januzaj – first at Manchester United and later at Sunderland, where he signed him on loan. Then, the report claims that the Scotsman’s recommendation is the only reason why Real Sociedad signed him back in the summer of 2017.

Now, it has been announced that Januzaj will leave the Txuri-Urdin when his contract expires at the end of this month. The Belgian wants to explore new opportunities, and the report claims that Moyes has his eyes fixed on him.

Januzaj, branded as ‘very special’, will be available for West Ham to sign on a free transfer on July 1.

Moyes compared him to Wayne Rooney

The hype around Januzaj was huge about 10 years ago. When the Belgian made his debut, everybody felt he’d go on to become a superstar for Manchester United for years to come.

We’ve already told you how much Moyes liked Januzaj. Now, let us remind you of the time the old Manchester United boss likened him to England icon Wayne Rooney.

Back in 2014, about eight years ago, Moyes said, as quoted by Bleacher Report: “Adnan is in Wayne Rooney’s category. He’s in that territory, definitely, because of his ability.

“The minute we got him away with us in pre-season we knew right away there was something there. He can play off the left, he can play off the right. He’s a No. 10 and he’s played centre-forward. He’s that talented a player.”

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