The Hammers could have got the Belgian, if they just paid up £17.5 million.
Anderlecht’s Belgian midfielder Leander Dendoncker (L) and Charleroi’s Senegalese midfielder Christophe Diandy
Het Laatste Nieuws in Belgium is reporting how West Ham United’s transfer deal to try and bring Leander Dendoncker to the club did not come to fruition.
The Anderlecht utility player was being linked with a move to the London Stadium for a number of weeks but no deal came about.
The Belgian press have reported why. HLN report that West Ham offered the Belgian side an overall sum of €15 million (£13.1 million) for the Belgium international. That seems a fair amount, but it was the manner in which they wished to pay that rankled Anderlecht. The Hammers were only prepared to pay €5 million (£4.4 million) up front, with the rest paid in the summer.
Leander Dendoncker of RSC Anderlecht and Pieter Gerkens of RSC Anderlecht celebrate
The long and short is that Anderlecht wanted €20 million (£17.5 million) and when it became clear that wasn’t happening no deal was possible and West Ham lost their man.
West Ham fans have been left disappointed with the club’s business in January. Whilst Joao Mario is a welcome addition the likes of Tom Cairney, Fedor Smolov and Morgan Schneiderlin were not picked up. The departure of Andre Ayew and arrival of Jordan Hugill did very little to appease fans.
Andre Ayew of West Ham United and Nathan Ake of AFC Bournemouth
Knowing that they could have brought in Dendoncker, if they had just been a little more straightforward with his Belgian side will certainly not appease the opinion that West Ham may not have done enough this month to stay clear of a relegation dogfight – despite their recent uptake in form.
Rumour has it West Ham will return for Dendoncker in the summer, so they better hope they stay in the top-flight.
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