Arsenal are willing to fork out €20 million to sign Belgian midfielder Arthur Vermeeren in January, as Arteta likes the 18-year-old talent.
According to Fichajes, Arsenal may have steered clear of their rivals in the hunt for Arthur Vermeeren. The Belgian midfielder remains on the radars of some top clubs, with Barcelona considered the favourites, but the Gunners are ready to pay €20 million and secure him in January.
Arthur Vermeeren emerged as the next big star out of Belgium after some stellar performances for Royal Antwerp last season. He helped the Jupiler Pro League side win the league title and, for his tender age, played a considerable role.
In the current season, he has kept his place in the side and has already tasted Champions League football, which has put him on the map. Several big clubs are keen on the 18-year-old Belgian midfielder, with Arsenal reportedly rivalling many other competitors.
The Gunners have admired the Belgian midfielder for some time now and are willing to fork out €20 million in January. That is the price Antwerp are looking for ahead of a potential sale, with Mikel Arteta keen to work with the 18-year-old.
Arteta wants to continue building his midfield using young stars. The arrival of Declan Rice in the summer secured one position for many years to come, but there are others like Charlie Patino waiting in line to break through.
While one may argue the potential arrival of Vermeeren could disrupt Patino’s pathway, the two can play together in the future. With the Belgian midfielder, Arsenal could have a solid youngster in their ranks who already has top-level experience in Belgium and the Champions League.
Barcelona have held talks for Vermeeren recently and, at one stage, looked like the favourites to sign him. The financial aspects of the deal make it difficult for the Catalans to come up with the required fee, as they will have other priorities over the Belgian.
Hence, Arsenal are ready to take their shot at signing Vermeeren ahead of the January widow. Arteta may look to add to his squad in that window, and the potential exit of Jorginho could open up space for another midfielder in the team.
While Arteta would like to keep Jorginho at least until the summer, he’s not opposed to adding Vermeeren to his young squad. The midfielder can forge a solid career in north London and become their future torch bearer in the middle of the park.
The player has been linked with Liverpool and Manchester United as well. Liverpool need to add central midfield reinforcements and the 18-year-old Belgian could prove to be a quality long-term acquisition. As far as Manchester United are concerned, they need to bring in someone who can control the tempo of the game and dominate proceedings in the middle of the park.
