Coach responds to €12m offer for Arsenal and Man Utd target Vermeeren

Imre Himmelbauer

• Updated: 23 Jan 2024 16:24 GMT
• 2 min read

Royal Antwerp boss Mark van Bommel has responded to the €12 million offer his club have received from Atletico Madrid for Arthur Vermeeren.

On Monday, news broke that Diego Simeone's LaLiga giants had barged into the race to sign sought-after Belgian wonderkid Vermeeren, with the Spanish club keen to beat the likes of Arsenal and Man Utd to his signature.

The Madrilenians would like to sign the defensive midfielder, who has also been eyed by Ajax and Barcelona, and reportedly made an offer in the region of €12m. However, Van Bommel is not convinced that this is a fair price for the prospect.

Now, in conversation with Het Nieuwsblad, Mark van Bommel has responded to Atlético Madrid's bid for the teenager.

What did Van Bommel say?

"Do you know how much it is? Around €12m? Well, that's not enough, is it?" Asked whether that was the first official offer for Vermeeren, the former Bayern and Barcelona midfielder said: "If I can believe the newspapers, yes. I am not really concerned with it. That is something for Sven [Jacques, Antwerp's CEO) and the club to take care of."

Atlético's offer is somewhat striking, as Mundo Deportivo reported an asking price of €20m in October, while Jacques revealed in December that Antwerp are keen to break the Belgian transfer record of €36.5m when they sell the youngster.

The midfielder is one of the star players at Antwerp and his Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) has already risen considerably this season. According to the FootballTransfers algorithm, Vermeeren, who is under contract until 2026, is worth no less than €39.6m now.

The youngster has scored two goals and provided six assists in 32 matches this season and has already been capped twice by the senior Belgian national team despite his tender 18 years of age.