Arthur Vermeeren has been urged to stay clear of Premier League giants Manchester United with the Royal Antwerp midfielder a £20 million transfer target for Erik ten Hag’s embattled side.
For Jan Mulder, the former Anderlecht and Ajax ace, Arthur Vermeeren needs Manchester United like he needs a hole in the head and a fracture in the ankle.
Old Trafford, in the post Sir Alex Ferguson era, has become something of a graveyard for talented, up-and-coming footballers, and Mulder feels that the 18-year-old Belgium international would be best served avoiding sipping from the poison chalice.
Arthur Vermeeren sent Manchester United warning
“Manchester United? That’s a snake pit,” Mulder tells VTM. “I wouldn’t (go there). Then, it’s better to stay in Antwerp.
“I see him in the Bundesliga. Bayern Munich!”
Man United were sent tumbling out of the Champions League by the aforementioned Bayern on Tuesday night, swatted aside almost dismissively by a team coasting to a 1-0 win at Old Trafford.
Royal Antwerp, at least, bowed out with their teeth bared. Vermeeren, who helped the club win Belgium’s top flight for the first time since 1957 last season, netted a famous goal in a 3-2 triumph over Barcelona in midweek, opening the scoring with a fierce finish from the edge of teh box.
“Last season, we wondered if he could confirm (his talent) in this competition. He’s done that (now),” adds Gilles De Bilde, the former Belgium striker who represented Aston Villa and Sheffield Wednesday in England.
“Will he stay at Antwerp? The reality in football today – and certainly for a Belgian club – is that if someone comes and puts 35 million euros on the table, you have to let him go. It’s that simple.”
Belgium’s Jude Bellingham
Per the Daily Mail, Manchester United may not have to go quite so high to strike a deal. Vermeeren is reportedly valued at around £20 million.
Comparisons have already been drawn with the likes of Andres Iniesta and Kevin de Bruyne. Though Antwerp coach Mark van Bommel sees similarities with another world-leading midfield talent.
“He has made fantastic development in just over a year,” the 2010 World Cup runner-up tells Het Laatste Nieuws. “And he continued to perform, even when all eyes were increasingly focused on him. We are constantly working to ensure that he continues to develop.
“He does that automatically, and that is precisely what talent is. He can continue to adapt to an even higher level. This is also the case with Jude Bellingham.”
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