Anderlecht rising star Nathan de Cat has been urged to avoid interest from the likes of Aston Villa, Brighton and Hove Albion and Tottenham Hotspur.
The advice comes from analysts Marc Degryse, via Voetbal Primeur. He believes the youngster should look at Germany before the Premier League.
De Cat has been earning rave reviews for his performances at Anderlecht this season. He’s quickly become an indispensable part of the starting line up under Besnik Hasi.
The midfielder is impressing week by week, and his performances have not gone unnoticed. A report in the UK named Aston Villa, Brighton and Tottenham as admirers last month.
De Cat’s agents later dismissed this but a separate report in Belgium further insisted that the Premier League trio were keen. A move in the January transfer window could even be on the cards.
Degryse, though, would advise against that. Instead, he believes De Cat should be looking elsewhere.
“If I were De Cat, I’d go to Germany first before moving to the Premier League,” he said.
“You shouldn’t immediately want to go to Manchester City. First, go to a major league, be a real pillar there for a few seasons. If you then want to take the step to the real top at 22 or 23, you’ll be much better protected.”
Whether De Cat takes that advice, particularly if Aston Villa, Brighton or Tottenham do come calling, remains to be seen.
For now, his focus will be on continuing to shine for Anderlecht. They’re already impressed by him, with analyst Frank Boeckx likening him to a current Villa star, Youri Tielemans.
“I think he’s a mix between Dendoncker and Tielemans. And I think there’s even more Tielemans in him than is currently coming out,” he added.
“Defensively, he’s incredibly strong. He chooses his position wisely, but De Cat can do much more than that. Whether he can ultimately distribute the play like Tielemans is the question.”