Aston Villa midfielder Leander Dendoncker is reportedly in advanced talks with Anderlecht to join them on a season-long loan deal.
The 29-year-old has struggled to establish himself at Villa since joining us in September 2022, having since gone on to make only 36 appearances for the club after spending the second half of last season on loan at Napoli.
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Following the appointment of Unai Emery just a couple of months after his arrival, the Belgian international has gradually fallen further down the pecking order, and the expectation is that his situation won’t change this season and he’ll find it hard to get much playing time, if any.
In turn, The Athletic report that he is in advanced talks to seal a return to Anderlecht on loan, and that comes after interest from Las Palmas has seemingly dissipated due to his wages being a stumbling block.
It’s unclear at this stage if his former club are able to cover his entire salary, but discussions are said to be ongoing, and it’s hoped that proves to be the case for Villa to at least shift his wages off the books for a year if we’re unable to offload him on a permanent basis.
Dendoncker’s contract at Villa runs until June 2026, and so the ideal outcome is that he’s able to secure his move back to Anderlecht, impresses during his loan stint, and earns a permanent move back to Belgium or his form attracts significant interest from elsewhere for a club to sign him outright next summer.
With Amadou Onana, Youri Tielemans, Boubacar Kamara, Ross Barkley, John McGinn, Enzo Barrenechea and perhaps even Lamare Bogarde all ahead of him in the pecking order in the long run, it makes sense for both sides to find an alternative solution for his future, but for now, it seems a loan to Anderlecht will be a temporary fix if all parties can reach an agreement.
Meanwhile, Villa aren’t expected to do any further business ahead of the transfer deadline, as having struggled to move certain players on to create space in the squad and give us increased financial flexibility while being mindful of PSR and SCR regulations, it looks as though Emery’s current group will be the one he takes into the season without Dendoncker, as well as Barrenechea, who is in Valencia to complete his loan move on Friday.
