Aston Villa agree £13m deal to sign Wolves midfielder which opens door to Douglas Luiz suitors
Aston Villa have agreed a £13million deal to sign midfelder Leander Dendoncker from Premier League rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers.
The 27-year-old Belgium international has become surplus to requirements at Molineux after Bruno Lage’s men splashed out a record £42.2m to bring in Matheus Nunes from Sporting Lisbon this summer.
That has allowed Villa to swoop for a player under-pressure Steven Gerrard hopes can give his engine room a lift.
Villa have started the new campaign poorly, with four defeats in their five games. That leaves them sitting a lowly 19th in the table.
Things do not get any easier though, with a clash against free-scoring Manchester City on Saturday night.
Villa look to have beaten rivals West Ham and Everton to the addition of Dendoncker.
The Belgian, who is also capable of playing as a centre-back in a back three, made a strong start to life at Molineux after signing from Anderlecht in 2018.
However, the partnership of Ruben Neves and Joao Moutinho soon took centre stage. And with Nunes now also on board, Dendoncker‘s first-team chances were always going to be limited.
In all, he has scored 12 goals in 159 appearances in all competitions for the club.
Villa could soften Douglas Luiz exit stance
While Dendoncker’s arrival could mean a swift exit for Douglas Luiz, Villa’s stance remains strong on the Brazilian.
Gerrard is keen not to lose the midfielder, who came off the bench to score direct from a corner in the Premier League defeat to Arsenal on Wednesday evening.
However, there are rumours that the player himself is pushing for a move before the transfer deadline.
Arsenal and Liverpool have both been strongly linked with moves for Luiz. However, Jurgen Klopp’s men are believed to be closing in on the loan signing of Juventus star Arthur Melo instead.
That leaves the door open for the Gunners to strike for Luiz, given their current injury problems.
Thomas Partey is currently on the sidelines, while Martin Odegaard suffered a knock in the win over Villa.
As for Villa, Gerrard will be hoping Dendoncker gives them some extra bite in midfield ahead of the City clash.
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