Manchester United Transfer Rumors 2018: Anderlecht Willing to Let Midfielder Leander Dendoncker Leave

By Noriel See, Christian Post Contributor Friday, January 12, 2018

Manchester United have been given another chance to sign Anderlecht defensive midfielder Leander Dendoncker.

In a recent interview with Belgian newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws, Anderlecht manager Hein Vanhaezebrouck said they prefer to hold on to Dendoncker until the end of the season, but he also admitted that they may be willing to let him leave if an "insane" offer comes along.

"Dendoncker was already busy in the previous transfer period. But now that Kara is injured, Leander is doing a great job as a central defender and we're not going to let our star go. Unless there is an insane bid perhaps," Vanhaezebrouck said, according to the Manchester Evening News.

"These are matters that are discussed. A transfer for €25–€30m is possible, but then we also need a replacement right away," he added.

Dendoncker is relatively unproven on the world stage, but that seems like a fair asking price given the ridiculous transfer fees these days. United should consider signing him right now because his price is likely going to increase in the summer as more clubs enter the mix for his signature.

But as noted by Vanhaezebrouck, Anderlecht still have to find an immediate replacement before they allow him to leave. The Red Devils will also face some competition from Premier League rivals West Ham United with reports indicating that the east London club is preparing a bid for the midfielder.

Dendoncker caught the eye of Red Devils manager José Mourinho with his performance during both legs of the Europa League quarter-finals meeting between Anderlecht and United last year, and he has been on their radar since then. The Belgian midfielder has been linked to a move to the red side of Manchester last summer, but the Red Devils didn't seem to push hard enough for the deal and they decided to sign Nemanja Matić instead.