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What's the story?
The English clubs are ready to pull out all the stops as they look to reassert their dominance in Europe. Jose Mourinho who has already signed 3 new players is running a rattler across the transfer market but is now planning to sign one more.
Manchester United have now enquired about Anderlecht's defensive midfielder Leander Dendoncker, according to The Sun. The Red Devils were linked with the 22-year-old after he scored against them in the Europa League quarter-final as well.
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United had sent scouts to Anderlecht's opening game of the season to observe and report on the exploits of the youngster.
The Belgian is valued at £30m and has also attracted the interests of RB Leipzig and AC Milan.
The heart of the matter
To begin with, Mourinho will not be pushing too hard to sign Dendoncker up this summer. United have just signed Nemanja Matic from Chelsea and the 29-year-old Serb is expected to take the reins in the midfield.
The Old Trafford outfit had been constantly linked with scores of defensive midfielders varying from Julian Weigl to Tiemoue Bakayoko. But Nemanja Matic was always the favorite to sign but the Romelu Lukaku hijacking set tempers flaring between the clubs and Conte seemed to not want to let his player leave.
Anderlecht are open to negotiation and club chief Herman van Holsbeek has admitted to the same by saying, “We want to cherish him, but if a club is willing to pay between €25m and €35m, we have a problem. Against Man United, he has shown twice that he has the potential to play at a top European club."
Dendoncker, who has been at the Belgian club since his childhood, has risen through the ranks and made his club debut in the 2013/14 season.
In the subsequent season, the youngster became a mainstay at the club and has become a vital part of their squad.
With his poised and delightful displays, Dendoncker has even become a subject of interest to Paris Saint-Germain.
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Author's take
United are not likely to sign Dendoncker this summer. However, Matic is 29-years-old now, and it is evident that the Red Devils are going to have to find fresh young legs to shut shop in front of the defensive line and spur Pogba to his magic.
With the likes of RB Leipzig, PSG and AC Milan keeping tabs on Dendoncker, United will have to make a decision soon.
But they just might hold out and see how their young defensive midfielder Scott McTominay will fit into the team before making significant changes such as this one.
