Aston Villa lead race for £12m Wolves midfielder Leander Dendoncker – report
Aston Villa have moved to sign Wolves midfielder Leander Dendoncker in a £12m deal before tonight’s transfer deadline, according to Mike McGrath.
The Villans have suffered four defeats in their opening five Premier League games and that has seen Steven Gerrard look to dip back into the transfer market, with the Belgium international considered a top target.
Current Brazilian ace Douglas Luiz had been linked with a departure, but Aston Villa have stated that he won’t leave the club during this transfer window.
Dendoncker is also wanted by Everton and West Ham, but they would prefer a loan deal while Wolves are more open to a permanent sale, as is the player.
Dendoncker can also play as a centre-back, and is expected to be part of the Belgium squad for the World Cup later this year.
Excellent
Midfield is a position where Villa have lots of strength and depth, but they lack quality and Dendoncker is a Premier League proven player with exactly that.
He is capable of playing several roles in the midfield too which opens up different possibilities for the manager, and applies pressure on all the other players to up their performance or risk being dropped.
Dendoncker is an excellent passer of the ball, but his energy and ability to break up play is something Gerrard will be keen to add and at £12m he represents excellent value in the market.
While the club are adamant that Douglas Luiz won’t be going anywhere, it also gives them a bit more cover should they receive an offer that is too good to refuse late in the day.
Fans should be happy about this move as it shows that Gerrard isn’t content with the current performances and squad and that Villa are actively doing something about it.
In other Aston Villa news, Atletico Madrid are set to bid £20m for Douglas Luiz