Arthur Vermeeren appears to be becoming one of the most sought-after young midfielders in the European market, especially after his rapid breakthrough at Royal Antwerp.
The Belgian player made nearly 50 appearances for Royal Antwerp when he was just 18 years old.
He recently made his debut for the Belgian national team during this week’s international break.
Vermeeren’s rapid rise has not gone unnoticed, leaving Barcelona among the European giants interested in securing his services.
Vermeeren moved closer to Arsenal in January
Despite Barça’s interest in the player, it seems Arthur Vermeeren is edging closer to a move to Arsenal in the upcoming January transfer window.
That’s according to SPORT, who claim Mikel Arteta is a big fan of the Belgian midfielder and wants him to sign for the club in January.
Arsenal are said to be willing to pay 20 million euros for Vermeeren, a large sum for an 18-year-old player who has no experience playing in one of Europe’s top five leagues.
Therefore, the Gunners seem to be a bright candidate in the race to sign the Royal Antwerp midfielder in the upcoming January transfer window.
Barcelona is at risk of losing to Vermeeren
While Arsenal is willing to spend 20 million euros on Vermeeren, unfortunately Barcelona cannot compete with the Gunners.
The Catalan team simply cannot afford to spend such a large amount of money on a young midfielder, even if this player is highly rated in the Barca camp.
However, Barcelona has identified other potential candidates in the market, with the aim of strengthening the midfield.
The squad includes Gabriel Moscardo, Sergi Altimira and Guido Rodriguez, among other talented stars who are likely to add depth to Barca’s midfield.
