Tottenham Hotspur have stepped up their interest in Royal Antwerp wonderkid Arthur Vermeeren, as Ange Postecoglou looks to add to his squad in the winter transfer window.
Since breaking into Royal Antwerp’s senior team last season, Arthur Vermeeren has been making waves and helped his side clinch the Belgian League title. The teenager has been a vital player for the Belgian club during this season, scoring twice and registering six assists in 31 appearances across all competitions. The midfielder has played every minute of their Champions League campaign, catching the eye with a goal in Royal Antwerp’s memorable 3-2 win over Barcelona at home.
Vermeeren has grabbed plenty of attention from top European clubs, including a handful from England. Tottenham have reportedly sent scouts to watch the 18-year-old in action for Royal Antwerp this season. They are hatching a plan to bring the Belgian midfielder and could make a £25m bid next month.
Spurs’ London rivals Chelsea and Arsenal are also monitoring Vermeeren’s progress, while the likes of Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund also remain on his trail.
Tottenham step up interest in Arthur Vermeeren
Tottenham plan to approach a deal for Vermeeren similar to the one which brought Destiny Udogie to north London in the summer of 2022. They paid a large part of the £18m fee up front and agreed terms with Udinese for Udogie—then loaned him back to the Serie A club. Spurs’ decision to let the left-back stay in Italy for another season has reaped rich rewards, as Udogie has quickly become a mainstay in Ange Postecoglou’s defensive unit.
Likewise, Spurs could offer Antwerp a large chunk of the £25 million fee upfront and let Vermeeren stay in Belgium until the end of the 2023/24 campaign, at least. The Lilywhites believe the £25 million fee would be enough to convince Antwerp to sell their wonderkid, even though the youngster has a contract until June 2026.
While there is plenty of interest in Vermeeren, Spurs are understood to be leading the race for his signature ahead of the January transfer window. Vermeeren has been a quality player for Antwerp, effective in recycling possession and controlling the flow of the game from deep. The Belgian has scary potential and could be the ideal partner for Yves Bissouma in the midfield pivot for Spurs.
All in all, Vermeeren could be a fantastic long-term investment for Spurs if they can agree a fee with Antwerp in January. It remains to be seen whether the defending Belgian champions are ready to sell their starlet for just £25 million.
I am Rohan Sengupta from one of the busiest cities in India, Mumbai. A Journalism graduate with a keen interest in sports, football is something I simply cannot live without and writing, discussing and analyzing the game is what I do 24*7.
