All eyes are on who Aston Villa should sign in this transfer window but Unai Emery can look to the future by replacing Leander Dendoncker.
Aston Villa are looking to build on their fantastic start to the season by investing wisely in the transfer market.
Unai Emery has set his stall out to bring in a few players who can help Villa in their quest for silverware this term.
According to reports, they are looking to bolster at right-back, on the wing and at striker.
A whole host of names have been mentioned, including Jeremie Frimpong, Wilfried Zaha and Samuel Iling-Junior, but the Villans are yet to get any deals over the line.
It has been quietly suggested that the club may have to sell key players in the future and have the complex task of navigating FFP, as per the Athletic.
The two they are open to selling are Calum Chambers and Leander Dendoncker.
Chambers hasn’t started a single match for Emery’s side since the Europa Conference League group opener in September while Dendoncker has made just one start in the Premier League but did feature for 70 minutes in their 1-0 victory over Middlesbrough in the FA Cup.
Emery should look to cash in on the pair, either in January or in the summer.
While a replacement for Chambers isn’t a priority, the Spaniard could dip into the free transfer market to replace Dendoncker and bolster his midfield.
Why Unai Emery should replace Leander Dendoncker with Wilfried Ndidi
Villa have had success shopping for midfielders in the free transfer market previously.
In the past two summer windows, they brought in Boubacar Kamara from Marseille on a free and Leicester City’s Youri Tielemans.
Emery should go back to the King Power and raid the Foxes for Wilfried Ndidi.
The Nigerian, who is currently sidelined for three months with an injury, sees his contract expire in June and is yet to renew terms.
Ndidi has been a revelation for Enzo Maresca in the Championship this term, forming an indispensable midfield trio with Harry Winks and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall.
Although the Italian has played him in a more advanced role than he’s used to, it’s likely he’d return to his role as a defensive midfielder under Emery, despite scoring twice and assisting seven times in the Championship this term.
Hailed as “incredible” by former manager Brendan Rodgers, Ndidi would be a huge upgrade on Dendoncker and would pose more of a challenge to the roles of Douglas Luiz and Kamara in Villa’s midfield.
When comparing Ndidi’s statistics from the Premier League last term to Dendoncker’s in this campaign, he averages more tackles per 90 (3.27/2.27), interceptions (2.04/1.88) and aerials won (1.34/1.19), as per FBref.
Considering that was one of the 27-year-old’s worst campaign’s in a Leicester shirt, imagine how good he would become with Emery as his manager.
On a free transfer, Villa can pull off another masterstroke in the summer window by snapping up the Foxes star to replace Dendoncker.
