Aston Villa want to offload Leander Dendoncker in January, but the former Wolves midfielder wants to join another Premier League club.
That is according to Sacha Tavolieri, a Belgian journalist who sheds some light on the future of a man who, after falling out of favor at Aston Villa, is now suffering the same fate for Domenico Tedesco’s Rote Duivels.
Belgium rested Leander Dendoncker during both the September and October international breaks. So his absence from the November schedule came as no surprise. Especially with the former Anderlecht captain falling further and further down the Villa Park pecking order.
Aston Villa is interested in Leander Dendoncker.
“The Belgian international is no longer part of Unai Emery’s plans,” Tavolieri says.
“He’ll have to come up with a solution.” We can confirm from a source that he does not want to leave England. He wants to remain in the Premier League. As a result, a solution must be found.
“A departure is slowly taking shape, which is why the Aston Villa management tries to push for Dendoncker’s departure.”
Just over a year ago, Aston Villa paid £15 million to sign the versatile enforcer from Midland rivals Wolves. Dendoncker has only played seven minutes of Premier League football this season, with Douglas Luiz, Boubacar Kamara, Jacob Ramsey, Nicolo Zaniolo, Youri Tielemans, and the outstanding John McGinn keeping him out.
Tavolieri believes that if the need arises, Dendoncker would not be opposed to joining a slew of other Premier League misfits in Turkey. His ‘priority’, on the other hand, is to remain in England, though whether Villa are willing to strengthen a Premier League rival remains to be seen.
There will be no Premier League matches this season.
“He was offered to Galatasaray,” says the reporter. “He would be interested in going to Galatasaray but, again, staying in England is his priority.”
Dendoncker has appeared in just six Premier League games since Emery replaced Steven Gerrard in 2022.
“I have had 10 months with him,” Emery told the Birmingham Mail in August. “And I’m always looking for ways for him to be regular (consistent) every day, every month.” Training, playing, and giving his best effort.
“For some different circumstances, he didn’t do it.”
