- Ex-Aston Villa man Leander Dendoncker joined La Liga side Real Oviedo last summer
- This season he has struggled with consistent performances
- Villa was finding it difficult to move him on
Ex-Aston Villa man Leander Dendoncker is struggling for form at Real Oviedo. After leaving Villa on a free transfer, the Belgian has hit a roadblock in La Liga.
Leander Dendoncker’s move to Real Oviedo has yet to provide the career resurgence many expected after his difficult spell at Villa Park.
The 30-year-old Belgian officially departed Aston Villa on August 19, 2025, joining the La Liga side on a free transfer after the club reportedly agreed to terminate his contract to clear his significant wages.
Dendoncker joined Villa in the summer of 2022 from local rivals Wolves. At the time, it seemed to be a sensible signing from Steven Gerrard. A player who has Premier League experience and can act as decent cover in midfield.
In his first season at the club, he appeared 21 times, but only started 9 games. When Unai Emery became manager, his minutes reduced even more, and he looked like a player who couldn’t compete at the level Villa needed him to.
An unsuccessful loan spell to Napoli in January 2024 followed, where he only made 3 appearances, before returning to the Midlands with the intention to leave again.
The Villans were keen for the 30-year-old to depart permanently, but couldn’t find a suitor due to his wages. Dendoncker’s first club, Anderlecht, offered a loan deal with an option to buy, which Villa accepted. He was a frequent starter for the Belgian side, scoring three goals in 43 games.
Last summer, he was free to leave again as he was not in Emery’s plans. Despite having a year left on his contract, Dendoncker joined Spanish side Real Oviedo for no fee due to Villa’s desperation to move him off their books.
Lacking consistency
Initially, the 32-cap Belgian international started positively, scoring the winner over Real Sociedad in their second game of the season. Despite some defeats, he stood out with some solid displays.
However, as the season has gone on, with Oviedo continuing to struggle, so have the midfielder’s performances.
December 14th was his last start in a 4-0 hammering by Sevilla. After that match, he was dropped from the team and has remained on the bench since.
He picked up an injury at the start of March, which has been keeping him out of action for the last month. When he returns, he will have a lot of work to do to regain his place in the starting lineup.
Oviedo season outlook
As a newly-promoted side, Oviedo would have been hoping to put together a squad that could help them avoid the drop. With the season’s end drawing near, that looks highly unlikely.
They currently sit rock-bottom on 21 points, 8 points adrift from safety, with five games to go.
Dendoncker himself would have wanted to have made a larger impact on the season, so he could have an opportunity at revitalising his career. But it looks like his chances of finishing the latter stages of his playing days, competing at a high level, seem distant.
It’s a journey many Villa supporters would have seen coming, given his lack of quality in a claret and blue shirt.
