West Ham endured a busy January transfer window, bringing in the likes of Joao Mario and Jordan Hugill, but there were a number of reported deals that fell through.
One of those that was mentioned but did not occur was a swoop to bring Belgian midfielder Leander Dendoncker to the club from Anderlecht, with the 22-year-old said to be extremely keen on a move to the Premier League.
However, Anderlecht refused to sanction a departure on Deadline Day and Dendoncker has since suffered a decline in form- which has led Belgium manager Roberto Martinez to issue a stern warning to the young talent.
Speaking to Het Nieusblad, the former Wigan Athletic and Everton boss said:
“Dendoncker is still young. In the last two transfer periods he was always in the midst of speculation about new clubs. He must leave that behind him urgently. This happens with a young player but he has to respond now.”
“I’m going to follow him very closely now. He knows he will have to show himself to get into the squad, that is obvious. He knows that there is competition. Leander has the advantage that he can play in different positions. He must be aware that he must now focus on his performance on the pitch.”
Dendoncker has already earned four senior caps for Belgium but faces a battle to earn a spot in his national side for this summer’s World Cup, where the Red Devils clash with Panama, Tunisia and England in the group stages.
