Dennis Praet celebrates his comeback to Anderlecht this evening. However, the midfielder will be present in the Antwerp jersey. Olivier Deschacht understands why the Mauves et Blancs were not interested in him this summer.
Jesper Fredberg sounded out Dennis Praet’s entourage, but this never resulted in concrete proposals. The former CEO Sports of Anderlecht believed that RSCA already had enough players for this position. He did not want to slow down players like Yari Verschaeren, Mario Stroeykens or Théo Leoni.
“I would have liked to see him come back. Against Club Brugge, we saw that he lacked speed and volume in midfield, and Dennis could have provided that. But I understand the decision: with Verschaeren and Stroeykens in the core, his profile was not essential,” Deschacht confides to Nieuwsblad.
Difficult first months
Antwerp, on the other hand, recruited him. The first months were very difficult. Praet failed to establish himself as a starter and his rises to the game were not convincing. For the moment, it is not yet a success.
However, he started 2025 very well. In the cup match against Union SG, Praet stood out with two assists and a goal, his first of the season. But against Beerschot, his performance was much less good.
“Luckily, he found a great project with Antwerp. I have the impression that Jonas De Roeck believes in himself and that he is little by little finding his place. Against the Union he showed that he could still have great value, because in addition to all his work, he also provided depth. » It remains to be seen whether Praet will be able to shine in his old arena.
