Lars Dendoncker could have joined his brother at Wolverhampton Wanderers but an offer from Brighton was too good to turn down, his agent told Het Nieuwsblad.
Two years after Wolves beat a whole host of Premier League rivals to snap up a highly-rated midfield powerhouse from Anderlecht, another Dendoncker sibling is packing his bags and heading for England.
19-year-old Lars has become a free agent after his contract at Club Brugge expired.
But he will not be battling his older sibling for a place in Nuno Espirito Santo’s starting XI, instead opting to join Brighton after holding talks with Graham Potter.
“There was interest from the Netherlands, Scotland, France, Italy and England. And England remains a unique opportunity. Lars also wanted the greatest possible challenge for himself,” says Andres Dendoncker, the third of the brothers and agent of Brighton-bound Lars.
“Wolverhampton were charmed, but Brighton became really concrete, and Lars immediately had a very good feeling about that club. Hence the choice (to go to the Amex).
“He has been scouted really intensively by Brighton last season – especially in the Youth League, where he has done well. Lars hasn’t come out of nowhere, either. He also played a good European Championship with the U17 two years ago.
“We spoke to both the trainer and the academy manager and we felt they really believe in him.”
A la Leander, Lars is a player with technical and physical gifts by the bucket-load.
But he is a centre-half rather than a dynamic, box-to-box midfielder, unlike his Black Country-based brother.
And Brighton could prove to be the ideal habit for the Belgium U19 international to hone his talents, given that Seagulls boss Potter has a fine track record when it comes to blooding and improving young players.
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