“Is Arthur Vermeer the Next Liverpool Sensation? Club Boss Hints at January Transfer!”
The club boss admitted he could sell the 18-year-old’s reported Liverpool target next month. Royal Antwerp’s chief executive has admitted he may have to sell reported Liverpool target Arthur Vermeer in January.
Only 18 years old, Vermeeren looks like a real star of the future. The midfielder, who made a breakthrough in the Belgian champions last season, has been linked with a move to Liverpool. After last night’s events, those ties can now be strengthened. Vermeeren was on the scoresheet for Antwerp as they secured a famous win over potential suitors Barcelona in the Champions League. Speaking to Belgian publication Het Laatste Nieuws ahead of the win, CEO Sven Jaecques said he was unsure if he could keep his prodigy until the end of the season. “We do not expect and we hope not, but it is possible that Arturo will no longer belong to Antwerp after January”, Jaecques admitted. “The interest in him is growing every week – logically, given the progress he has made. “He can leave, leave and stay for a while or just stay. If we sell him, for the right price anyway. Let’s see if he becomes Belgium’s most expensive transfer ever.” Vermeeren is ready for a big step Realistically, Jaecques must know that if such a player ends up in a club like Antwerp, he won’t be there for long. This is not insignificant for the Belgian side. They are a great historic club who are clearly in a good place now. But Vermeer seems destined for greater things, ANOTHER LIVERPOOL STORY There is a wider debate about whether this is the right decision for players who have not yet passed their teenage years. Throughout football history, there are countless examples of young stars who should have stayed and developed just a little longer at their hometown clubs. But that never happens nowadays. By Arthur Vermeer Photo: Marcel ter Bals/DeFodi Images via Getty Images As Jaecques suggests, Antwerp has a real chance to make a lot of money with Vermeeren. Currently, their biggest sale was the sale of left back Gaston Avila to Ajax for around £11 million. As they continue to transition from their title-winning team last season, selling Vermeeren could blow it out of the water. From Liverpool’s point of view, if the Belgium international leaves in the new year, he is unlikely to come to Anfield. An argument has to be made that the Reds need a player like Vermeeren right now. But we don’t think they’ll pull the trigger in January. Apart from that, we would be a bit skeptical if Liverpool are serious about the youngster. They already have a similarly high-class young midfielder in Stefan Bajcetic. If Bajcetic returns to full fitness, a player like Vermeeren would certainly stand in his way. One more to keep an eye on.
