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ADNAN JANUZAJ lost his opportunity to become a part of Jose Mourinho's first Manchester United squad because of his “relaxed” attitude to pre-season training under the Premier League club's new manager.

The Belgium international, 21, is the most prominent of a group of younger United players made available for loan or sale by Mourinho as he attempts to reduce a bloated squad down to manageable numbers while adding four signings he has described as “fundamental...to give a certain push in terms of the qualities that I need and want”.

Januzaj's camp have complained about the forward being listed for loan, leading to media reports that he neither received an explanation of his status nor why he has lost his shirt number to Anthony Martial.

(Image: Jason Cairnduff/Action Images)

Januzaj, who failed to establish himself in Borussia Dortmund's first team during a planned season-loan to the Bundelsiga club last season, has indicated that he would now prefer to leave Old Trafford on a full transfer.

Mourinho decided to exclude Januzaj from his senior squad because the group he inherited from Louis van Gaal was both unmanageably large in size and of insufficient quality to challenge for the Premier League title.

Januzaj's unconvincing performances in pre-season training led him to conclude “that other players were better at this moment [as Januzaj] is a bit relaxed,” according to a source close to the Portuguese boss.

A further indication of Januzaj's lack of commitment to re-establishing himself as a regular starter for the first time since January 2014 is that the Belgian has made no effort to talk to Mourinho about his status at United.

(Image: Man Utd via Getty)

“If he wants to know why he is being offered on loan the manager's office is always open for the players,” added the source.

Januzaj has made 67 competitive appearances for United, but the majority of his 29 starts came during the 2013/14 season in which he was promoted to the first team by David Moyes.

Though he was quickly made a full international by Belgium amidst discussion that he might choose to play for Albania, Croatia, England, Serbia or Turkey, he has not played for the country of his birth since making six appearances in 2014.

Moyes, now manager of Sunderland, has indicated his interest in taking Januzaj to his new club. “I’d love to get that level of player,” said Moyes when asked about Januzaj and Marouane Fellaini earlier this month.

(Image: Scott Heppell/AFP/Getty)

“If those good players want to come to the north-east and join me I’ll drive down to Manchester and pick them up. I’d be happy to have them. They’re excellent players. We’re interested but I’m sure loads of other clubs are as well.”

Following Mourinho's appointment, United have released two former first-team players, Victor Valdes and Nick Powell, loaned Guillermo Varela to Eintracht Frankfurt, and sold defenders Donald Love and Paddy McNair to Sunderland.

Their new manager remains focused on reducing his squad size – ideally to 21 outfield players and three goalkeepers – while adding quality to an inexperienced defence.

With less than three weeks of the transfer window remaining, none of the four most prominent players Mourinho has made available for sale – Bastian Schweinsteiger, Marcos Rojo, Juan Mata and Daley Blind – have yet to leave the club.