Arsenal & Man City join Barcelona in race for Belgian wonderkid

Cameron Smith

13 Oct 2023 16:34 BST
3 min read

Arthur Vermeeren, Royal Antwerp — © ProShots

Arsenal and Manchester City are among several elite clubs to have contacted Royal Antwerp regarding highly-rated teenage midfielder Arthur Vermeeren.

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Vermeeren, 18, has risen to prominence over the past 12 months and he is seen as one of Barcelona’s key transfer targets.

The 18-year-old Belgian wonderkid is currently being monitored by the Blaugrana as Xavi’s side ponder making a serious push to sign him in 2024.

However, Barcelona face serious competition for Vermeeren as clubs across Europe are keeping close tabs on his situation at Royal Antwerp.

Manchester United, RB Leipzig, Ajax, Borussia Dortmund, Monaco and West Ham have reportedly expressed their desire to land the midfielder, while 90min have now revealed that Arsenal and Man City are the latest to join the race.

Vermeeren to leave Royal Antwerp?

Vermeeren helped Antwerp to their first Belgian top flight title in 66 years last season and was selected in Belgium’s senior squad for the first time ahead of the October international break.

He will have the chance to make his senior international debut when Domenico Tedesco’s side face Austria on Friday evening.

The midfielder’s recent emergence into first-team football has sparked transfer interest from across the continent and 90min have reported that Man City, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur have all contacted Royal Antwerp over the possibility of signing Vermeeren.

In addition, the report states that Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund and Juventus are also watching the teenager’s progress.

Vermeeren’s current contract at Royal Antwerp isn’t due to expire until 2026, meaning it may cost a decent fee to convince the Belgian side to sanction a sale.

His Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) stands at €15.2 million, having been as low as €0.4m in January 2023. However, Vermeeren’s value is likely to continue rising if he continues to impress on the pitch in both the Belgian Pro League and the Champions League.