A potential transfer for RSC Anderlecht midfielder, Leander Dendoncker to the Premier League has been speculated upon for almost the entire second half of the 2017/18 campaign. A move to West Ham United fell through in the dying moments of the January window as fresh reports suggest that Chelsea too are set to miss out on the 23-year-old.
Dismissing the Blues would mean that the Hammers could reignite their interest in the Belgian international who is also being wooed by Crystal Palace and Watford. Dendoncker is one of the most prolific names in the Jupiler Pro League and could cost the Hammers a significant amount in the coming summer.
He is best suited to the central midfield role but is versatile enough to appear in more offensive and defensive roles. He has impressed plenty with a goal and 2 assists in his 41 appearances this season. The Belgian especially stood out during the UEFA Champions League group stage games against Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain and Celtic.
A composed head with an acute eye for the right pass is what sets him apart from the rest. The 23-year-old wins his side possession multiple times with his remarkable interception and tackling abilities. He is an enforcer that every Premier League team will want to pounce upon, given the chance.
Dendoncker started out with his hometown club, Passendale before making the big leap to Belgium’s top-flight. He signed with RSC in 2009 and has gone on to make well over 150 appearances for the Belgian side.
He helped the team to the league title last season and has also been capped 4 times for the Belgium senior team. He primarily made his impressions during the 33 appearances for the country’s youth sides. Whether he will be travelling to Russia for the 2018 FIFA World Cup cannot be said for certain but the chances are quite high.
If he makes the switch to the English top-flight, the odds of getting selected more often for the national team will definitely increase. The English League is known for its ruthlessness and if you can thrive in it, you certainly are high on the books of your national team coaches.
David Moyes needs a player like Dendoncker to solidify his midfield. Cheikhou Kouyate has proven to be a liability multiple times this season and is just not good enough in the long run.
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Pedro Obiang might just be worse and Mark Noble needs a dependable partner next to him while he surges forward to create the team’s offence.
