Aston Villa midfielder Leander Dendoncker is set to leave his current club for Everton as he does not fit into plans of Unai Emery for the Champions League season. The Belgian international has come onto the radar of the Toffees. While his present contract at Villa Park remains until 2026, Dendonker is very unlikely to get any play time. Emery is looking for stronger backups. Both parties wish to go separate ways with the Belgian demanding more game time to his name. The upcoming season holds importance for the Spanish manager who has established himself in European competitions. Aston Villa will be playing their first Champions League football in 42 years and they cannot depend on players who are physically weak. Dendoncker spent a short loan spell with Italian side Napoli and was criticized due to his lack of fitness. He did not have an impressive time to lure contracts in the summer transfer window.
What makes the Aston Villa and Emery reject an appropriate fit for Everton?
Dendoncker left Aston Villa for a short loan in the winter transfer window. The six month loan deal to Italian giants Napoli seemed promising for the 29 year old. However, he couldn’t be a regular starter in Naples and managed to appear only three times for the club. Dendoncker had limited game time with frequent change in managers who could not lay their trust on starting him. The buy-back clause of 7.7 million pounds failed. The loan agreement couldn’t materialize into a permanent deal, thus prompting the Belgian to return to his parent club in England. Sean Dyche’s pragmatic brexit ball, although a fitting match for Everton, requires extensive backups in the midfield. With Dendoncker having immense experience in the Premier League, Dyche can easily trust in the former Wolverhampton Wonderer lad. Dendoncker boasts 100+ PL appearances and will act as a key man on and off the bench.
Dendoncker losing his Villa Lockeroom:
Upon joining Napoli in January, the 32 time capped Belgian international ironically took a dig at his parent club. He commented,
“I actually think that Napoli is slightly more prestigious, The club became champions last year and has performed well on the European stage in recent seasons.”
The club’s manager and teammates probably did not take it lightly. He also added:
“This was not the case at Aston Villa. Yes, this is the new start I needed. Everything is different here, whether it is on a sporting or cultural level. We know how passionate people are about football in Naples. I was in my sixth season in England.”
His move to Italy was not permanent, yet a sneer as such might have lost him the locker room for a club that is competing at the highest level in Europe.
As featured on EvertonNews.comAs featured on AstonVillaNews.com
For more sports updates, make sure to follow us on:
