Aston Villa have seen their outlook transformed by Unai Emery, who arrived in October 2022 following the dismissal of Steven Gerrard.
The Spaniard quickly changed the spirit within the squad he inherited from the Englishman, inspiring an overall higher level of individual performance and more positive approach to play that inspired the start of something special at Villa Park.
The former Arsenal boss has taken pleasure in handing some of Gerrard’s struggling stars a new lease of life, with his utilisation of John McGinn and Tyrone Mings adding to the list of areas that Emery has improved since arriving in the Midlands.
Despite guiding Villa to a seventh-place finish and a spot in the Europa Conference League, Emery has been unable to assist every player with an improved level of performance, as highlighted by one of Gerrard’s signings prior to his sacking.
How much did Aston Villa pay for Leander Dendoncker?
In the summer of 2022, Villa signed midfielder Leander Dendoncker from West Midlands rivals Wolves for a fee of £13m.
The Belgian had secured 159 appearances for the Old Gold, scoring 12 goals and claiming four assists in that time from central midfield.
While the former Anderlecht whiz was a reliable player for Wolves, he found himself battling for a starting spot under Bruno Lage, as the talents of Ruben Neves and Joao Moutinho were favoured to run the engine room.
Once lauded as a “top player” by former Molineux boss Nuno Espirito Santo, Dendoncker’s move to Villa came as a result of his varied game time under Lage, and at a pivotal time for the Villans who were poised to take a new-look midfield into the 2022/23 campaign.
With Dendoncker and highly-rated free agent, Boubacar Kamara signed that summer, Gerrard’s options in the middle of the park were greatly enhanced, however whether this was a positive for the Belgian was yet to be discovered.
How much does Leander Dendoncker earn at Aston Villa?
In signing for Villa, the midfielder was not only presented with a new opportunity to grasp consistent game time in the Midlands, but also handed an improved salary to ease the transition.
At Wolves, the Belgian picked up a wage of £75k-per-week, a figure that rocketed to £90k-per-week at the point of his arrival at Villa Park in 2022.
Currently, the 28-year-old earns the fifth-highest salary at Villa, receiving a healthy package of £4.68m-per-year.
His £90k-per-week wage sees him currently earn more than the likes of Douglas Luiz and Jacob Ramsey, raising questions as to whether the Belgian has warranted such rewards so far in his career at Villa Park.
What happened to Leander Dendoncker?
Unfortunately for the towering asset, history repeated itself at Villa as it did at Wolves, as he is far down the pecking order amid the wealth of competition in his position.
Emery favours to field the likes of Kamara, Luiz and McGinn over his other options in midfield, Dendoncker and his countryman Youri Tielemans, who are forced to wait for their chance to shine.
Leander Dendoncker's appearances at Aston Villa
Competition
Apps
Starts
Premier League
22
7
FA Cup
1
1
Carabao Cup
1
1
Europa Conf League
1
1
Europa Conf League Qual
1
0
Stats via Transfermarkt
As highlighted this season, the midfielder has been given the opportunity to start fixtures thanks to Villa’s European and cup involvement, however he looks far away from being on the cusp of a Premier League start any time soon.
In 24 league appearances last term, Dendoncker secured only nine starts, averaging just 39 minutes per game to convey how out-of-favour he is in comparison to his teammates in the position.
So far, the Belgium international has secured just 26 appearances for the Villans and has failed to contribute in the final third – without a goal or an assist in all competitions – not helped by his poor performances in the engine room.
While Dendoncker is waiting to earn his first Premier League start of the season, he was given the chance to start in the Europa Conference League against Zrinjski, and also in the Carabao Cup against Everton, yet he was hooked at halftime on both occasions.
The midfielder left Molineux in the hunt for game time and was presented with an even steeper uphill battle at Villa Park, not aided by his performances when his chances have come, having been branded “so poor” by journalist Tom Parker.
How much is Leander Dendoncker worth now?
An exchange worth £13m is considered to be a matter of pennies in the current climate of the transfer market, however Villa may be haunted by the money spent to bring Dendoncker to the club.
The Belgian’s lack of game time and poor performances have seen his market value crash dramatically, as highlighted in the graph below via Football Transfers, spelling worrying times for Villa who would be fortunate to receive anything close to £13m for a possible future sale.
From being purchased just last summer for £13m, Dendoncker’s expected transfer value (xTV) currently sits at €6.4m (£5.5m), seeing a rampant decline since his arrival at Villa Park.
In October 2022, Football Transfers documented the 28-year-old’s xTV as being in the region of €17.2m (£14.9m), conveying that Villa paid a valid price for their acquisition, a figure that sits at almost £10m more than his value exactly one year down the line.
Considering his place in the pecking order within Emery’s squad, it looks highly likely that the former Wolves ace’s value will continue to decrease, with game time far from guaranteed to be handed to him on a regular basis in order to build form.
What does the future hold for Leander Dendoncker?
As Emery continues to test just how far he can push his current crop of talent at Villa, Dendoncker’s future at the club looks to be further and further away, as reinforced this summer following the close of the transfer window.
As reported by Football Insider, the Belgian was eyed by Turkish side Fenerbahce before the window in Turkey closed, with the report claiming that the forgotten man “is free to quit” his role at Villa as a result of his place in the pecking order.
While the validity of the report remains merely speculation, it could be seen as the start of a possible exit route for the midfielder, who is deemed as nothing more than a rotational figure by Emery.
Villa have spent millions to welcome and maintain Dendoncker at Villa Park, and are yet to see just why they opted to spend the money to bring him to the club last summer.