Aston Villa put Gerrard signing on exit list after Emery decision, with two types of offer to be accepted

Aston Villa are ready to move Leander Dendoncker on during the January transfer window after Unai Emery decided the Steven Gerrard signing is no longer part of his plans, according to a report.

Dendoncker joined Aston Villa from Midlands rivals Wolves in September 2022, but within a few weeks of his arrival, the manager who had overseen his arrival had been dismissed by the club and replaced by Emery.

The Belgium international ended up playing in about half of Aston Villa’s matches in the 2022-23 season. Then, he had the chance to join Fenerbahce back in September, while the Turkish transfer window was still open.

After failing to agree terms with the Super Lig side, though, Dendoncker has been fighting for his place in Emery’s system again. He has played in seven matches so far this season, but all three of his Premier League outings so far have been as a stoppage-time substitute.

Furthermore, in the two cup games he has played in, Emery has taken him off at half time.

Now, Football Insider has revealed that Aston Villa have put Dendoncker on the transfer list ahead of the January transfer window.

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The report claims they will look to either sell him or even loan him out to another club, depending on what type of offers come in. Either way, it is deemed to be in everyone’s best interests for him to continue his career elsewhere at the age of 28.

No new suitors are yet mentioned for the former Anderlecht man, who only played in his native country before coming to the Premier League with Wolves in 2018.

In four seasons at Molineux, Dendoncker made more than 150 appearances, earning gametime either as a defensive midfielder or centre-half. His situation since his move to Aston Villa has been one of a less important player, though.

Dendoncker dropping down Aston Villa pecking order

It is never ideal for a player to lose the manager that brought them to a club early into their spell. However, with the likes of Douglas Luiz, John McGinn and Boubacar Kamara in the Aston Villa squad, managers other than Emery would also struggle to find a place for Dendoncker.

Indeed, even his compatriot Youri Tielemans has struggled to get consistent gametime since his arrival from Leicester City, where he stood out as one of the best midfielders outside the Premier League’s top six.

Furthermore, academy graduate Jacob Ramsey has transitioned into a left-wing role this year after originally emerging as a more central player, which is another sign of the strength in depth at Emery’s disposal in the middle of the park.

Dendoncker is still under contract with Aston Villa until 2026, which buys them some time to loan him out if they cannot find a buyer in the winter transfer window. It would seem ideal, though, for him to make a fresh start elsewhere.

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