Anderlecht XI if they’d kept their best players featuring two Serie A winners and former Klopp target

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Manchester City are working on a deal to sign talented Anderlecht left-back Sergio Gomez, according to the Athletic.

With Chelsea hijacking City’s deal to sign Brighton & Hove Albion left-back Marc Cucurella, the reigning Premier League champions have switched their attentions to signing Gomez.

Although City see the 21-year-old as a high-potential development talent, Pep Guardiola’s side will continue to explore other targets irrespective of their pursuit of the former Barcelona youngster.

With Gomez seemingly set to become the latest Purple & White star to be signed by a big European club, HITC have put together an Anderlecht XI if they’d kept their best players.

Anderlecht XI if they’d kept their best players

GK – Hendrik van Crombrugge – Anderlecht

The one-time Belgium international has made 94 appearances for the Belgian giants since making the move from fellow Juplier Pro League side KAS Eupen.

CB – Leander Dendoncker – Wolverhampton Wanderers

The Belgian, who predominantly plays as a midfielder but can fill in at centre-back, joined Wolves on a permanent deal in 2019 after spending the season prior on loan at Molineux.

Dendoncker, a product of the Anderlecht academy, played 171 times for the senior side and won five trophies before making the switch to the Black Country.

The 27-year-old has played 154 times for Wolves and he will be hoping to establish himself as a regular in Bruno Lage’s side alongside influential Portuguese duo Ruben Neves and Joao Moutinho for the 2022-23 campaign.

CB – Cheikhou Kouyate – Free agent

The former West Ham United and Crystal Palace man is currently a free agent after failing to agree new terms with the Eagles.

The 2022 African Cup of Nations winner wanted a two-year deal at Selhurst Park, but the Londoners only offered him an additional 12 months.

The 32-year-old Senegal international made 206 appearances for Anderlecht before moving to the Hammers in 2014. Kouyate won six trophies during his time with the Purple & Whites, including four league titles.

CB – Chancel Mbemba – Free agent

After four years at Porto, the former Newcastle United centre-back has joined Ligue 1 giants Marseille on a free transfer following the expiry of his contract with the Dragons.

The 27-year-old made 77 appearances for Anderlecht before making the move to St James’ Park and he played 59 times for the Magpies before heading for Portugal.

RM – Alexis Saelemaekers – AC Milan

Another big name to emerge from the star-studded Anderlecht academy, Saelemaekers was part of the Rossoneri side that won the Scudetto for the first time in 11 years last season.

The 23-year-old, who has nine caps for Belgium to his name, joined the Italian giants on a permanent deal in 2020 having finished the second half of the 2019-20 campaign on loan at the San Siro.

Saelemaekers represented Anderlecht 64 times and he’s already amassed over 100 appearances for one of Europe’s biggest powerhouses.

CM – Youri Tielemans – Leicester City

The midfield maestro’s contract at the King Power Stadium expires next summer and the Foxes could cash in on their star number eight if their valuation is met from potential suitors.

Tielemans has spent the last two-and-a-half years under the tutelage of Brendan Rodgers having joined the club on a permanent deal following an initial six-month loan spell from Monaco.

The Ligue 1 giants splashed the cash to sign Tielemans who became one of the hottest properties across Europe following his emergence with Anderlecht.

From 185 appearances for his boyhood club, Tielemans scored 35 goals and provided 31 assists.

CM – Albert Sambi Lokonga – Arsenal

The Gunners paid Anderlecht a fee in the region of £17.2m to sign the one-time Belgium international last summer.

In his first season at the Emirates, the 22-year-old made 24 appearances under Mikel Arteta, 12 of which were starts in the Premier League.

With competition for places intensifying under the former Manchester City assistant manager, Lokonga will be looking to kick on in his second season in English football.

Arsenal’s number 23 made 78 appearances for Anderlecht having made his debut in December 2017.

LM – Sergio Gomez – Anderlecht

Manchester City look set to sign Sergio Gomez and the Spaniard’s burgeoning talent could be nurtured by Pep Guardiola if the move goes through.

Burnley boss Vincent Kompany signed the Spain Under-21 international, who can play in midfield, from Borussia Dortmund last season.

In his first season in Belgium, Gomez scored and impressive seven goals and laid on 15 assists from 49 appearances.

AM – Jeremy Doku – Rennes

The young Belgian starlet is a player that Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp was previously tracking for several years.

Yet another graduate of the Anderlecht academy, Doku played 37 times for his first club, scoring six goals and providing seven assists.

The 20-year-old struggled with injuries during his second season with Rennes and from 55 games for the Les Rouges et Noirs, the ten-time Belgium international has four goals and six assists.

ST – Aleksandar Mitrovic – Fulham

Following his move from Partizan Belgrade, Mitrovic built on his impressive reputation of being one of the most talented young strikers on the continent with Anderlecht.

Across two seasons for the Belgian side, Serbia’s all-time top scorer netted 44 goals and provided 11 assists before joining Newcastle for £13m when Steve McClaren was in charge.

With 17 goals from 72 games for the Magpies, Mitrovic joined Fulham on a permanent deal worth £22m after spending the second half of the 2017-18 campaign on loan at Craven Cottage.

The 27-year-old has scored 96 goals for the west London outfit, 43 of which came in last season’s Championship title triumph.

ST – Romelu Lukaku – on loan at Inter Milan from Chelsea

Belgium’s all-time top scorer is back on loan with the Nerazzurri after his £97.5m return to Stamford Bridge backfired.

The former West Brom, Everton and Manchester United striker will be hoping to rediscover his form, confidence and goalscoring touch back in Milan having left the club following the club’s Serie A triumph under Antonio Conte.

Having burst on the scene with the Anderlecht first team when he was a teenager, Chelsea paid £18m to bring the pacey and physically imposing striker to Stamford Bridge in August 2011, after he scored 41 goals from 98 appearances.

Lukaku was the Juplier Pro League’s top scorer for the 2009/10 campaign, finding the back of the net 15 times and his goals helped fire Anderlecht to the league title.