According to reports in The Sun, Everton are reportedly ready to step up their interest in highly-rated Anderlecht midfielder Leander Dendoncker this summer.

The 22-year-old has enjoyed an impressive season for the Belgian outfit alongside another in-demand player – Youri Tielemans – in the middle of the park, and is rated at £12m by his club.

Ronald Koeman is keen to significantly strengthen his team at the end of the season as he looks to turn them into top four contenders, while he will also have the extra fixtures to deal with after the Merseyside outfit qualified for the Europa League.

The Dutchman is said to have sent a scout to watch Dendoncker in his team’s 2-0 win against Zulte Waregem on Sunday, which moved Anderlecht a step closer to winning their first league title since 2014.

The Toffees have also been linked with Tielemans over the course of the last couple of months with the 20-year-old scoring an impressive 18 goals in all competitions this term.

Here are three reasons Everton are right to target Dendoncker over Tielemans…

They have more chance of getting him

Even though Dendoncker has been one of Anderlecht’s standout players this season, there is no doubt that he has been overshadowed by Tielemans in the middle of the park.

After scoring 18 goals and providing a further 15 assists this term for the Belgian outfit, the 20-year-old will surely be a target for a number of the top European clubs this summer.

While the Toffees are right to target some of the best young players in Europe, perhaps they are better off bringing in Dendoncker as there would be less competition to sign the 22-year-old.

He could turn out to be a bargain buy

If it is true that Dendoncker is available for £12m, then the 22-year-old could turn out to be a bargain replacement for Gareth Barry.

The veteran midfielder could leave Goodison Park this summer as his first team opportunities become more and more rare, and having brought in Idrissa Gueye for just £7.1m last summer Ronald Koeman could be looking for value for money again.

Having been a regular for Anderlecht and with European experience to boot, Dendoncker has the ability to make an instant impact on Merseyside.

He is more likely to stick around

When Ronald Koeman is looking to bring new players to Goodison Park this summer, he will want individuals that want to be part of the project to lead Everton to the Champions League.

That is something that isn’t an instant guarantee and therefore he will want players that are more likely to stick around for at least a few years rather than using the Merseyside outfit as a stepping stone for a move to a bigger club.

In that respect signing Dendoncker makes more sense than going for Tielemans as the latter is already on the radar of the top European Clubs.

Do you agree, Toffees fans? Let us know below.