Crystal Palace and West Ham United suffered a terrible start to their 2017-18 Premier League campaign. Both clubs were performing below par and were in the relegation zone more often than their fans would have liked since last August. It led to both clubs firing their managers and replacing them with Premier League veterans. While West Ham appointed David Moyes, Crystal Palace offered their hot seat to ex-England boss Roy Hodgson.
Both managers had a slow start but have since managed to get their teams out of the danger zone. As the January transfer window came and went by, neither were able to add significant strength to their side. However, it is now being reported that both managers are looking to add further depth and strength to their squad and Belgian central defensive midfielder Leander Dendoncker has become the new target for both the clubs.
The 22-year old’s impressive form had gained him attention from all over Europe. Dendoncker impressed against Liverpool in the Champions League clash in the group stages of the competition for Anderlecht. The Anderlecht midfielder who has been a regular national player since the age of 19 can also move down and play as a centre back for his team, should the need arise. This makes the young Belgian a very useful signing to any club struggling to keep up in the Premier League.
As for Anderlecht, it was reported that the club was not keen on losing another prized asset in Dendoncker after parting ways with Youri Tielemans last summer. However, reports are stating that the Belgian has a written promise from the club hierarchy that he will be allowed to leave should they get a transfer offer for him worthy of their player’s valuation.
As for Palace, the club is now riddled with injuries in every position and Hodgson will have to work even harder to keep his side up in the league. The Palace boss is without impressive youngster Ruben Loftus-Cheek who had an impressive start to the season but an unfortunate injury ruled him out of further action this season.
Hodgson’s defence is also particularly worth worrying about, with plenty of key players including the likes of Martin Kelly, Julian Speroni and Scott Dann missing in action. The latest player to be ruled out is Wilfried Zaha, with the manager confirming that the winger is likely to be on the sidelines for about a month.
Moreover, with Loftus-Cheek set to return to Chelsea next season, Palace will need another central midfielder, in the long run, thereby making Dendoncker a perfect addition to their side. But is he the right man for the job?
