- Arsenal have reportedly taken a step forward by signing a young Belgian midfielder
- The Gunners would have gone ahead of Barcelona for the Antwerp star
- Kai Havertz is a broken man at Arsenal: listen to the debate It all starts
Arsenal have reportedly moved ahead of Barcelona in the race to sign a promising young Belgian star in January.
The Gunners embark on another title charge this season after rising to second in the table with 24 points from their opening ten games following an encouraging start to the season. And boss Mikel Arteta is still looking to the future to continue the club’s upward trajectory. .
And according to Spanish outlet SportThe Premier League side are now leading the race to sign one of Royal Antwerp’s most highly rated youngsters in the January transfer window, despite Barcelona previously being tipped to bring him to Spain.
Arthur Vermeeren, 18, has been billed as a future star of the Belgian national team and has impressed many with his confident and mature performance in the middle of the park for Antwerp, the club he joined at the age of 13.
Sportclaim Barcelona is still interested in Vermeeren, but has not yet made a decision to sign him.
Arsenal are said to have edged ahead of Barcelona in the race to sign Belgian star Arthur Vermeeren
Mikel Arteta (L) has reportedly ramped up interest in the £13m-rated star ahead of Xavi (R)
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They are aware they could lose the player, the report adds, with Arsenal now ‘making progress’ in their bid to sign him – for a price of around £13million.
Vermeeren has been monitored by Barcelona scouts for some time – with his impressive ball deliveries and positional sense admired by the Spanish squad – and the player’s attributes ‘would be a perfect fit’ for the club, the club claims.
He has been compared to Barca club legend Sergio Busquets, while Antwerp football director Marc Overmars said he had shades of Andres Iniesta and Xavi.
“I have no doubt that Vermeeren can play (for) Barca,” he told FCBN. ‘Just like Xavi and Iniesta… Vermeeren (has) the same profile.’
Vermeeren is seen as Belgium’s next big star and impressed in the Champions League this season
Arsenal, meanwhile, are taking ‘a step forward’ with their bid for Vermeeren – even though he is ‘viewed as a risky option’ for the club.
However, the club are keen to build on their midfield strength to keep their title hopes alive. They have spent £65 million on Chelsea’s German star Kai Havertz, but he has failed to impress at the Emirates so far.
Vermeeren – who was named in CIES Football Observatory’s recent list of top 100 youngsters – has decided he will leave Antwerp in January or at the end of the current season and is aware that there will be offers for him, it is reported the report further. ‘wants to take another step in his career’.
Last season he played 34 games for Antwerp, scoring once and making a total of nine appearances this season. He has already played three Champions League games and had two assists in a 3-2 defeat to Shakhtar Donetsk.