Aston Villa are poised to complete £7m transfer as forgotten man finds fresh lease of life

Aston Villa midfielder Leander Dendoncker is one of a number of players to have headed out on loan in the summer transfer window

As the transfer window wore on over the summer, it became increasingly clear to Leander Dendoncker that the only way he'd be exposing himself to regular football was by leaving Aston Villa. There was a brief reprieve for Dendoncker last Christmas, when he was granted a start at Manchester United and scored in a defeat, but within a month he'd been shipped out to Napoli.

Dendoncker's experience and versatility came in handy to Unai Emery in the earlier stages of last season and the Belgian was relied upon to help the Villa squad cope with the intensified fixture schedule following qualification for the Europa Conference League, but by the turn of the year compatriot Youri Tielemans had got his feet under the table and Villa were otherwise well stocked.

It cannot be disguised that Dendoncker's loan spell with Napoli was anything other than a miserable one, certainly as far as his prospects of regular football were concerned. With Boubacar Kamara sidelined and Douglas Luiz off to Juventus, Dendoncker returned to Birmingham this summer and was bumped up the pecking order, even if only temporarily.

READ: Aston Villa have proven all bases are covered with springboard for success

READ: Atairos slowly increase stake as Aston Villa ownership influence grows

It led to a trip to the US for the club's pre-season tour, which Dendoncker participated in, but another Belgian in Amadou Onana was soon recruited and it became increasingly clear that Dendoncker's efforts to catch Emery's eye and force his way back into Villa's plans would be futile. He was invited to find himself a new club, and did so before the window closed. A return to Anderlecht beckoned.

So far, it couldn't have been a more different experience for the midfelder, who has played five matches in all competitions and has completed 90 minutes in every single one. He only missed the impressive 3-0 win over Standard Liege at the weekend through illness. More so than racking up appearances and minutes, though, Dendoncker has also obtained the captain's armband.

“We already had a conversation at the start of the transfer window. Anderlecht already wanted me to join then. I was open to it, but decided to wait a bit longer,” he said last month. “I wanted to review my options. At that time, I was still fighting for my place at Aston Villa. Unai Emery took me to pre-season to the United States, but it gradually became clear that my playing opportunities would be scarce.”

It's not been plain sailing back in familiar surroundings, mind; Anderlecht have been relatively slow out of the blocks and have won four of their opening ten league games, which cost manager Brian Riemer his job; the Dane, formerly Thomas Frank's assistant at Brentford, left the club last month and the job has since remained vacant, although former Tottenham midfielder Ryan Mason is the surprising favouritie to take it.

As for Dendoncker, he'll expect to return to the side on the other side of this international break after making an immediate impact. Jesper Fredberg, the club's CEO, spoke highly of him after Dendoncker secured a beat-the-deadline return to Brussels.

"With Leander we bring in someone with Premier League experience, who knows the club, fits in well with the project and perhaps most importantly: he clearly has ambitions to achieve something with us," Fredberg said. "Leander can also be played in different positions and that can be a great asset for us this season. I am convinced that this will be a great adventure for both Leander and the club."

Dendoncker has another year left on his contract at Villa after next summer, a deal which runs until 2022; the 29-year-old signed a four-year deal when he arrived from Wolves a couple of years ago and, while things mightn't have worked out for him at Villa, Dendoncker appears to have hit the ground running back in his native Belgium. Anderlecht have the option to sign him permanently next summer for around £7m - something likely if his early season form is maintained.

Does Dendoncker have a future at Villa? Have your say HERE

The latest Villa headlines sent straight to your phone

Join our Aston Villa WhatsApp group and get the latest breaking news, interviews and opinion sent straight to your phone, plus matchday team news and live updates of all the action. Just click on this link and select ‘Join Community’ to get started. The only proviso is that you must have WhatsApp on your phone to participate. It's a free service. No one will be able to see your personal information and you will only receive messages from our Villa writers.

We will not spam your WhatsApp feed with constant messages, but you will receive updates from us daily with the latest Villa news. If you later decide to opt out, just go to the name at the top of your screen and click 'Exit Group'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. Click here to read our Privacy Notice