Leander Dendoncker has revealed Unai Emery wanted him on Aston Villa’s pre-season this year, but he decided against it and instead sought out a transfer.
The midfielder has been speaking at a press conference for Anderlecht, relayed by Voetbal Krant, who he joined in the summer on loan until the end of the season.
He’s returned to the club where he started his career after a difficult couple of years at Aston Villa since joining in a €15m deal in September 2022.
He has struggled to establish himself at the club since that move, particularly under Unai Emery, who was happy to send him on loan to Napoli in the January transfer window.
That deal never worked out and he returned this summer but the big-money arrival of Amadou Onana, as well as the signing of Ross Barkley, added to an already packed central midfield and indicated Dendoncker may not be a part of the plans once again.
He eventually ended up back at Anderlecht on the final day of the window, where he is looking to kick on and get back on track.
Whether he can do so remains to be seen and he admits things could have been different as Emery wanted him as part of Aston Villa’s pre-season training squad.
“The common thread throughout my career is that my transfers always happen quite last minute,” he said.
“The coach of Villa wanted me to join them on a training camp, but I knew that the opportunities would be very limited. That I had to look for something else. There had been contact with Anderlecht quite early on in the mercato, but I waited for my options. I was honest about that.”
“However, I would always be open to a return and in the end, Anderlecht were still interested at the end of the mercato. They were looking for someone with my profile. I think it is the right choice. I have a great past here.”
