He's available for €25 million: BVB are reportedly pursuing a blockbuster transfer – but they face stiff competition

De Cat is pushing for a swift decision on his next club, according to reports. As well as BVB, he has held talks with RB Leipzig and Bayer Leverkusen about his sporting future. 

FC Bayern have also been repeatedly linked with De Cat in recent months, though HLN claims that move remains a step too far for the versatile central midfielder.

On Thursday evening, signs pointed to his departure from his boyhood club. After Anderlecht's 3-1 win over St. Truiden, De Cat crossed Lotto Park in flip-flops and broke down in tears, seemingly certain that the match would be his last at home for the club.

Anderlecht have accepted his likely exit but are holding out for a fee of at least €25 million, a sizeable sum given his contract runs until 2027.

De Cat only broke into Anderlecht's first team during last season's championship play-offs, but he quickly established himself as a regular starter from the outset of this campaign. As the current season draws to a close this weekend, he has clocked up 45 competitive appearances, scoring three goals and providing five assists. 

BVB are known to be searching for a central, defensively minded midfielder, and Hertha BSC's 16-year-old Kennet Eichhorn was their primary target. Sporting director Ole Book and coach Niko Kovac have reportedly already held talks with Eichhorn.

Unlike with De Cat, no major negotiations with Hertha would be necessary in Eichhorn's case, as the teenager can leave the second-tier side via a release clause set at around €10–12 million. However, BVB may now be looking more closely at alternatives, partly due to FC Bayern's continued interest in Eichhorn.

On Friday, Bayern Munich sporting director Max Eberl reiterated that the champions are monitoring Eichhorn. "If you see Kenny Eichhorn and FC Bayern aren't watching him, then we're not doing our job. Now we have to see if it fits and what his and his management's expectations are. Whether it actually happens is a completely different matter," Eberl told Bild.