Leander Dendoncker has revealed that he expects to return to Aston Villa this summer, but hopes a long-term solution on his future can be found.
The 30-year-old has spent this season on loan at Anderlecht, having slipped down the pecking order at Villa under Unai Emery and been left playing limited minutes.
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While the loan move was a temporary solution, the hope was that the Belgian midfielder would find form and secure a permanent deal either to stay with Anderlecht or impress other clubs, but it sounds as though he is resigned to returning to Villa this summer before a fresh decision is made on his future.
With Youri Tielemans, Boubacar Kamara, Amadou Onana, John McGinn and Ross Barkley all current options at Emery’s disposal who would likely start ahead of Dendoncker in our deeper midfield pivot, the situation doesn’t look as though it is going to change at Villa for him to believe that he has a fresh shot this summer.
In turn, there is a real sense that the best solution for both parties would be to split on a permanent basis, and while there is that omission from Dendoncker in his comments below, it’s hoped that we can find as close to an ideal landing spot for him rather than just cutting him to whoever might be interested.
“That I no longer fit into the plan at Villa is a bitter pill to swallow, but also something I have to accept. Villa is doing very well, with an incredible manager who I can’t say a bad word about. He is the best coach I have ever worked with,” Dendoncker told Het Laatste Nieuws.
“I have one more year of contract. I’m going back to England in the summer and then we’ll see. In terms of stability, it’s not ideal. Certainly not with two small children. It’s not pleasant. I have just turned 30. That’s when you start thinking about what you’re going to do after your career.
“I still have a few years ahead of me. I want to end in style and not regret anything. I want to feel good and wanted, by a club and a project, as a player and as a person and preferably no more loans.”
It’s nice to hear Dendoncker talk with ambition and desire to play, as the easy thing for him to do would be to return to Villa, sit on the bench for a year and run his contract down through to June 2026.
He’s had a limited role ever since joining us having featured just 36 times, and although he’s an experienced and talented player, it certainly feels as though the club has moved in a very different direction, and he ultimately doesn’t feature in those plans moving forward.
As noted above, it’s hoped that he gets an offer this summer that suits him as well as the club as he has important factors to consider at this stage of his career and life, and from a Villa perspective, it could be an important sale as part of our transfer strategy with PSR in mind.
Further, it’s a lesson to be learned from previous management on being meticulous with our signings to ensure it makes sense both from a football side as well as a financial one as part of our longer-term vision.
