Manchester United and Liverpool are reportedly showing a strong interest in signing Royal Antwerp FC star Arthur Vermeeren, as per the Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo.
After making his senior debut for the Belgian side last term, the 18-year-old has established himself as an integral part of Mark van Bommel’s starting eleven in recent times.
It seems after being impressed by the youngster’s recent displays in the Pro League, several big clubs around Europe have registered their interest in signing him, including Liverpool, Man Utd and Barcelona.
According to the report by Mundo Deportivo, Man Utd are keeping a close eye on Vermeeren’s development ahead of a potential move in the upcoming window.
The report further claims that Antwerp would be ready to let the midfielder leave if they receive an offer of at least £13m. So, Man Utd can manage to secure his signature for an affordable price if they make a concrete approach over the coming months.
Battle
However, Mundo Deportivo states that securing the Belgian’s signature won’t be straightforward for Man Utd as Liverpool are also plotting a swoop for him. In addition, Barcelona are planning to acquire his services as well.
Man Utd didn’t have a specialist deep-lying playmaker at their disposal so they opted to sign Casemiro last summer. But, after displaying promising performances in his debut campaign, the Brazilian has struggled to showcase his best so far this season.
So, Man Utd have signed Sofyan Amrabat to provide competition for Casemiro, but Moroccan has joined the club on a loan deal and it remains to be seen whether the Red Devils opt to sign him permanently next summer.
Therefore, it appears they are thinking ahead of time and are plotting a swoop for Vermeeren, in-case they decide not to sign Amrabat permanently.
On the other hand, after enduring a woeful campaign last term, Liverpool have decided to revamp their engine room this summer. But, they haven’t been able to sign a top-class player to reinforce their number six position, the Reds have signed Wataru Endo from Stuttgart but he doesn’t have much experience playing at the highest level, though he has entered his 30s.
So, the Merseyside club are seemingly planning to sign a new defensive midfielder over the coming months with Vermeeren emerging as a serious target.
The youngster is an extremely talented player and possesses high potential so he would be a shrewd signing for Man Utd or Liverpool with a view to the long-term future if either club manage to secure his signature.
However, it is going to be interesting to see whether Man Utd or Liverpool decide to make a concrete approach to sign him over the coming months to bolster their engine room.
