Manchester United are keen on Arthur Vermeeren and there are shades of a young Kevin de Bruyne in the Royal Antwerp whizzkid, former Belgium international Marc Degryse argues.
You can now add the Manchester City playmaker to an impressive array of genuinely world-class talents Arthur Vermeeren has been compared to since breaking into the Royal Antwerp first-team during the club’s title-winning 2022/23 campaign.
Marc Overmars, Antwerp’s sporting director, sees similarities with Barcelona icons Xavi and Andres Iniesta. Vermeeren possessing the poise and the guile typical of a La Masia marvel.
The teenager could reportedly follow in Iniesta’s footsteps too. Though Barcelona have been left in no doubt about the size of the task they face attempting to lure Belgium’s next big thing to the Camp Nou. Manchester United, Arsenal, Newcastle and more are also in contention (Mundo Deportivo).
And those latest comparisons with arguably the best midfielder in modern Premier League history will do little to dampen the excitement around Vermeeren’s growing reputation.
Arthur Vermeen in high demand
“(Vermeeren is) quite comparable to the De Bruyne of Genk. The one from ten years ago,” Degryse, capped 60 times by the Red Devils, tells Het Laaste Nieuws. “Just like Kevin back then, (Vermeeren is) already showing fantastic things. You can see the potential.
“Little by little, (he’s) becoming stronger and more dominant.”
Vermeeren is valued at around £20 million, via the Daily Mail. Manchester United are keeping a very close eye on some of Europe’s brightest midfield talents, with Antwerp’s 18-year-old maestro one of a number of options to replenish an ageing engine room alongside Benfica’s Joao Neves and Valencia’s Javi Guerra.
Manchester United’s own Kevin de Bruyne?
“Three or four years ago, he was a player who didn’t really stand out. He was small in stature. Hardworking, quick (but) I have to admit that I had not seen in him what he now brings,” Urbain Haesaert, a scout who has worked for the likes of Anderlecht and Ajax, explains to Het Laatste Nieuws
“The evolution he has made in the last two years is fantastic. I think his best position is that of defensive midfielder.”
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