Chief Confirms Manchester United Can Sign Defensive Star In £22m Deal

The January transfer window is now open so clubs are working hard trying to strengthen their squads for the second half of the season and put deals in place for the summer. Today, Man Utd receive a boost in their pursuit of Leander Dendoncker…

Manchester United have been told they can sign Anderlecht defensive midfielder Leander Dendoncker if they table an offer worth at least £22m this month, according to a report in The Sun.

Dendoncker has developed in to one of the hottest prospects in Belgian football since progressing through the Anderlecht youth system to become a vital first team regular.

The 22-year-old caught United’s eye after scoring against them during their Europa League quarter-final clash last season and Jose Mourinho was seen speaking with the youngster after the final whistle.

United have continued to be linked with the Belgian international in recent months while The Sun claim that the Red Devils could face competition from the likes of West Ham, Chelsea and Manchester City.

The interested parties have now been handed a major boost as Anderlecht have named their price with chief executive Herman van Holsbeeck confirming they will be ready to cash-in if at least £22m is put on the table.

Anderlecht are in need of a financial injection and that kind of money would allow them to rebuild their squad after falling 13 points behind leaders Club Brugge.

van Holsbeeck is quoted as saying by The Sun:

“Dendoncker is the centrepiece of our defence. If we let him leave it has to be for a lot of money. We also have to find a replacement for him, even if it is a loan for six months.

“A deal can be done if the interested club puts 25 or 30million euros (£22m-26.5m) on the table for him.

“I’ve experienced plenty of difficult transfer windows, but this one is the trickiest of all. I have been given the task of finding new players, but without a big budget.

“So I will try first of all to let certain players leave. Hundreds of clubs have more money than us. I will have to try to be more cunning than the others.

“We need a striker, a defender and someone who can make a difference for us. But the reality is that we can only sign players on loan unless we receive a big fee from a transfer.”

That price seems reasonable for a player of Dendoncker’s potential in today’s market so I’m sure the likes of United will be tempted to snap him up as his value could soar if he impresses at the World Cup this summer.

Dendoncker played a key role in helping Anderlecht win the title last season but has refused to sign a new deal as he holds out for a big-money move to the Premier League.

The Belgian international is predominantly a defensive midfielder but he’s also comfortable playing at the back so he’d give Mourinho plenty of options if he was to secure a move to Old Trafford.

READ MORE –> Man Utd transfer news

United need to find a long-term replacement for Michael Carrick and I think Dendoncker would be an interesting option if Mourinho decides to step-up his interest this month.