Italian media 100% sure midfielder will return to Aston Villa for next season

Sometimes footballers and their representatives make decisions that prove to be the wrong ones, and that certainly seems to be the case for one Aston Villa ace.

Unai Emery has worked wonders with the Villains so far this season, and with 10 games left to play in the 2023/24 Premier League campaign, they are in with a genuine chance of qualifying for next season’s newly revamped Champions League.

They’re also just a couple of games away from a place in the Europa Conference League final.

Leander Dendoncker almost certain to return to Aston Villa

Some of the football that has been played by the Midlanders has been the best that’s been seen at the club since the glory days of Ron Saunders, and if Emery can come anywhere close to matching some of the success that Saunders enjoyed, the Villa Park faithful will be happy.

One player that wasn’t really given a chance to make his mark at the club this season was Leander Dendoncker.

The 28-year-old only managed to play 164 minutes per WhoScored before he left for Napoli on loan in the January transfer window.

Any thoughts that the player had of making an impression in Serie A have quickly been dispelled too, given that, to date, he has played a grand total of 21 minutes for the Partnopei since making the switch.

Sport Witness note that Italian media are convinced that he will return to Villa Park in the summer, though it’s difficult to see how he will get to make an impression back at the Premier League outfit if Emery is similarly dismissive of his skill set.

Regardless, the player’s agent explained to Radio CRC, relayed by Area Napoli. that Dendoncker doesn’t regret making the move in order to try and get his career back on track.

“We defend the Napoli choice. We don’t regret it. Of course he would like to play more and if you ask me if he deserves to, yes, because he comes from an important club, because he is a Belgian international and therefore is an important player who deserves to play more,” he said.

“However, this does not mean that Leander is discouraged or that he would not make this choice again. The boy remains calm, not entirely satisfied, but very calm.”

Given his age this summer is clearly a vital one for the player, and his agent will have to ensure he makes much better decisions on behalf of his client.