Vermeeren bomb! Deal agreed for transfer of Man Utd and Arsenal target

Tom Weber

• Updated: 23 Jan 2024 20:59 GMT
• 3 min read

Atletico Madrid have struck a deal with Royal Antwerp for the transfer of Arthur Vermeeren, according to Belgian media and Fabrizio Romano.

After being courted by Barcelona, Arsenal and Manchester United, the 18-year-old Belgian wonderkid appears to be on his way to Madrid unless Atletico fail to agree personal terms with the youngster.

According to Belgian outlet HLN, an agreement between the Spanish giants and Antwerp has been reached. This has since been backed up by transfer expert Fabrizio Romano. The deal could rise to as high as €27 million if certain bonuses are met.

All things considered, this appears to be a very good deal for Diego Simeone's side given that Antwerp CEO Sven Jacques just last month said that he was expecting to receive a Belgian record fee for Vermeeren. However, his stance appears to have significantly softened as the final figure for the midfielder is almost €10m short of the current record of €36.5m.

Arsenal, Man Utd miss out on Vermeeren

Atletico's interest in Vermeeren has come relatively out of the blue in recent days and the Spaniards moved quickly to get a deal over the line, beating the likes of Arsenal and Man Utd to the punch.

The capital club had initially tested the waters with a €12m offer that was promptly rejected by Antwerp. Indeed, head coach Mark van Bommel joked about the bid earlier on Tuesday, saying: "Do you know how much it is? Around €12m? Well, that's not enough, is it?"

Despite Atletico and Antwerp agreeing on a deal, the transfer is not yet completed. The Spanish club still need to agree personal terms with the player, who is expected to fly to Madrid for his medical on Thursday. Antwerp had hoped to keep the midfielder until the summer, but if all goes to plan, he will join Atleti this month.