Arsenal are reportedly on the verge of signing Royal Antwerp star Arthur Vermeeren in the January window, as per the Spanish outlet Fichajes.
After purchasing Declan Rice from West Ham United in a whopping £105m deal, the Gunners were seemingly looking to sign a second midfielder in the summer window to strengthen their engine room.
Several names were mentioned as potential targets but they eventually opted not to sign anyone after deciding to keep Thomas Partey at the club. But, it appears they are now planning to sign a new midfielder in January with Vermeeren emerging as a key option.
According to the report by Fichajes, several big clubs around Europe such as Barcelona, Liverpool and Manchester United were looking to sign the Belgian star next year. But, Arsenal have managed to trump all of those clubs in this race and are on the verge of securing Vermeeren’s signature in January.
The report further claims that the North London club are ready to pay £17m to acquire his service so they are set to sign the midfielder for a reasonable fee.
Vermeeren to Arsenal
The report also states that Mikel Arteta has already shown admiration towards the youngster and the Spanish boss feels the 18-year-old possesses excellent skills, is good in positional play and is technically sound as well.
The Spanish outlet further states that Arteta thinks Vermeeren would be the perfect acquisition to complement Declan Rice so he has urged the Gunners’ recruitment team to sign the Antwerp star.
Vermeeren has already established himself as an integral part of Antwerp’s starting eleven, helping his side win the Belgian Pro League last term. He has also enjoyed a promising start to this season and has showcased glimpses of his talent in the Champions League.
The Belgian possesses the necessary attributes to play in Arteta’s possession-based style of football so he would be an excellent signing for Arsenal with a view to the long-term future if they manage to secure his signature in January.
However, it is going to be interesting to see whether Arsenal can eventually manage to lure Vermeeren to the Emirates Stadium in the upcoming transfer window to reinforce their engine room.