As the £6 million Aston Villa transfer becomes uncertain, the midfielder is replaced as captain.

Olivier Renard, the sporting director of Anderlecht, acknowledges that the Belgian team has

to a long-term contract in the summer.

Anderlecht also reached an agreement to purchase the 29-year-old from Villa during talks

to sign him on loan for the season. However, Renard wants the Villa loanee to assume greater

responsibility after manager David Hubert benched him as vice captain after Jan Vertonghen sustained an injury.

Renard responded, “I think of Leander, yes,” when Gazet van Antwerpen asked if Dendoncker

needed to display more personality. However, Dolberg, Rits, Foket, Hazard, Augustinsson,

and others are not alone. They must also assume greater accountability. Dendoncker has not

played much in the last few years. He shouldn’t be held responsible for everything.

The Belgian tabloid also inquired as to whether the club’s chances of pursuing the option

to permanently sign Dendoncker would be hampered by the arrival of midfielder Cedric Hatenboer.

Renard answered, “If he already believes that, he is mistaken.” “Leander has won 38 Rode Duivels.

It goes without saying that Hatenboer will increase the level of competitiveness and become a valuable asset.

But our lads have to play golf if they can’t take that. As far as Dendoncker is concerned, that is not an issue.

The response to the question of whether Dendoncker would exercise his purchase option was, “No,

that decision hasn’t been made yet.”

This season, Dendoncker has made 15 appearances in the Belgian Pro League and participated in

six of the team’s eight Europa League league phase games. Vertonghen’s long-term injury at the

beginning of the season led to him being given the armband shortly after joining from Villa;

however, boss Hubert changed his mind in December.