‘Just Walks Past The Ball’ – Aston Villa Out-on-loan Star Hammered By Ex-National Team Player | OneFootball

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Former Belgium international Franky van der Elst has hammered an Aston Villa loan star for the performance he put in at the weekend, in particular his lack of action when it came to preventing a goal.

Unai Emery has Aston Villa fighting to finish in the top four in the Premier League, into the semi-final of the FA Cup and still involved in the Champions League, and the Lions are looking at a potentially memorable season.

Emery will again look to strengthen over the course of the summer transfer window, while there will also be question marks over players away from Villa currently on loan.

Aston Villa have a host of players currently out on loan, including the likes of Kosta Nedelijkovic, at RB Leipzig, Emi Buendia, at Bayer Leverkusen, Alex Moreno, at Nottingham Forest and Leander Dendoncker, at Anderlecht.

Midfielder Dendoncker is trying to make an impression at Anderlecht, which he has found difficult and it has already been suggested they are unlikely to look to sign him permanently.

He was in action at the weekend in a Belgian Pro League game against Union SG and his performance in midfield did not find favour with Van der Elst.

Union SG’s goal came from a mistake from Thorgan Hazard, but Van der Elst was unhappy with what he saw from Dendoncker in the move, as he found him to be passive and pointed to a lack of action when needed.

“Dendoncker is much too passive there. You can’t lose the ball like this, but okay. What bothers me most is that Dendoncker does far too little as number six”, he was quoted as saying by Belgian outlet Voetbal Krant.

“As number six, you are still in front of the ball, while it is lost just ten metres away from you. Then you have to make a little sprint to cover that zone. But he just walks past the ball.

“Someone loses the ball, then you react immediately. Isn’t that everyone’s job?

“That you don’t react immediately when Hazard loses the ball… that’s what stays with me.”

Dendoncker now looks to be moving towards the end of his loan spell with Anderlecht with little prospect of remaining at the club.

That would mean a return to Aston Villa, where he has a contract which runs until the summer of 2026.

Villa may well be keen for a permanent sale of the 30-year-old rather than another loan, due to his contractual situation.