Anderlecht successfully agreed a deal late on Friday with Villa for Belgium international Leander Dendoncker, marking a predictable move in the transfer window. The deal sees Dendoncker returning to his roots as he joins Anderlecht on a season-long loan.
Embed from Getty ImagesDendoncker’s career began with the Belgian side, where he quickly rose through the ranks to become one of the most promising young talents in Belgian football. During his initial stint with Anderlecht, he played a pivotal role in the team’s successes, helping them secure a Belgian Pro League title and two Belgian Super Cups. His performances established him as a promising player and amongst those referred to as Belgium’s ‘golden’ generation.
Last season, Dendoncker was loaned out to Napoli after the former Wolves player was seen as surplus to requirements under Unai Emery. Tellingly the Italian side opted not to make the move permanent.
Dendoncker was informed by Aston Villa’s club’s hierarchy that he would not be included in their plans for the upcoming campaign. This decision led to Anderlecht making a move to bring him back to the club where his career began. The loan deal is seen as a chance for Dendoncker to regain regular playing time with the 29-year-old’s club career now somewhat adrift.
It seems extremely unlikely that Dendoncker has a future at Villa Park, especially given the club’s plethora of more capable midfield options. Additionally, this must go down as expensive Steven Gerrard signing that Villa are desperately seeking to move on to make headroom for PSR if nothing else.
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