According to reports in Belgian media outlet Het Nieuwsblad, West Ham United transfer target Leander Dendoncker could join Atletico Madrid this summer.

What's the word, then?

Anderlecht star Leander Dendoncker stands with teammates

Well, the Irons were heavily linked with a move for the Anderlecht midfielder during the January transfer window, with Het Nieuwsblad claiming that the player was keen to join either them, Everton or Crystal Palace before the deadline before an exit to England was blocked by the club.

Now Het Nieuwsblad claim that Anderlecht have a preliminary agreement with Atletico about a €20m (£17.4m) deal for the Belgium international this summer, although while they have the option the La Liga outfit aren't committed to using it.

The report adds that should another club offer more than €20m for his services, Atletico have the right to match it.

How has Dendoncker done this season?

While the 23-year-old is primarily a defensive midfielder, he has often played at centre-back for his club in recent months, and that could be one of the reasons he is looking for an escape route this summer.

The Belgian has made 38 appearances in all competition for Anderlecht this term, while he has shown his leadership qualities by captaining them on 12 of those occasions.

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Dendoncker has consistently shown that he is more than able defensively, while he is also strong and decent in possession.

Could West Ham still sign him?

They certainly could do, yes.

While Atletico reportedly have this agreement they could still be outbid, and they may choose not to use it anyway depending on what their plans for the summer are.

The Irons are in desperate need of strengthening in the middle of the park with Mark Noble and Cheikhou Kouyate being criticised by Irons fans on Twitter following another disappointing display in the 1-1 draw against Stoke City at the London Stadium on Monday night, and the highly-rated Dendoncker could be the answer to their problems.

Given he is seemingly keen to move to the Premier League and could be available for less than £20m, it would be a no-brainer for West Ham to get a deal over the line and they can't afford to miss out.