Leander Dendoncker, the forgotten player for Aston Villa, must already be packing for a potential January departure.
At Villa Park, Dendoncker has been a regrettable afterthought, and it’s possible that he is no longer a part of Unai Emery’s plans [Sacha Tavolieri, 16 November].
The 28-year-old former Wolves player remained in his current position throughout the summer transfer window after his attempted move to Everton (Le Parisien, September 1) fell through.
Dendoncker has only made four substitute appearances in the English top tier this season, and he has yet to start for Villa in the Premier League. His lone start came in the Europa League.
His sole starts have been in the Conference League and the Carabao Cup, and nothing has indicated that Premier League teams will be lining up to recruit him in January. The Belgian was substituted off against Everton in September after 45 minutes of play. He had not won a single duels or tackles that day, and only two of his 26 passes had found their way into the final third.
The former Wolves midfielder was largely linked with a summertime move away from Villa Park and made just seven Premier League starts under Steven Gerrard and Emery last season.
Dendoncker remained at Villa Park and was surprisingly included in Emery’s 25-man squad [Birmingham Live, 13 September]. Turkish news outlet Takvim reported on September 13 that Dendoncker had been recommended to Fenerbahce as they desperately sought out midfield reinforcements before the Turkish transfer deadline on Friday, September 15.
Even though that suggested Dendoncker might play soon, his place in the squad remained uncertain because midfielders such Douglas Luiz, John McGinn Boubacar Kamara, and summer signing Youri Tielemans were ahead of him in the starting lineup.
And the 28-year-old may be inconsolable about seeing Youri Tielemans, his Belgian counterpart, flourish while he is abandoned by Unai Emery to languish on the bench.
Following Boubacar Kamara’s suspension, Villa’s most recent matchup against Bournemouth, a 2-2 draw, should have been his opportunity to start. However, the Spaniard chose to start Tielemans and Douglas Luiz in the middle of the park, a move that may have cost them as their opponents repeatedly outplayed them.
Dendoncker would have undoubtedly lost patience with the Aston Villa boss after making such a decision.
It’s unclear when the Belgian international will play for Aston Villa again with a few weeks left in the January transfer window, so it won’t come as a huge surprise if he has his bags packed and is ready to leave.
