Barcelona scouted 18-year-old Manchester United target during Champions League match

It is no secret that Barcelona are on the lookout for a new pivot midfielder despite having brought in Oriol Romeu during the summer transfer window.

The Blaugrana want two players for every position on the pitch and do not have a natural alternative for the Spaniard at the base of the midfield.

Furthermore, his off-colour display against FC Porto last night is a further indicator that the La Liga champions could do with quality alternatives in the position.

As such, Royal Antwerp midfield sensation Arthur Vermeeren is one of the players that Barcelona are looking at as an option.

Barcelona scouted Vermeeren last night

Vermeeren, 18, has been on Barcelona’s radars since the summer, with the club having scouted him in action for Royal Antwerp on several occasions in the past.

They got a closer look at him during the UEFA Champions League Group H clash between the two teams last month.

Now, SPORT is reporting that Barcelona watched Vermeeren in action once again this week when Royal Antwerp played Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League last night.

Having not had the best of outings against Barça, the 18-year-old enjoyed a much better performance against Shakhtar even though his team ended up on the losing side.

The young Belgian ace recorded two assists on the night as Royal Antwerp lost 2-3 to the Ukrainian champions.

Plenty of interest

Barcelona see Vermeeren as a good fit to play in front of the defence due to his characteristics and believe that he has great potential.

While his incorporation was considered last summer, the financial situation did not allow for it and Barça are now keeping a close watch on how he develops over the coming months before launching a move.

However, Barcelona are not the only club tracking Vermeeren as several other teams across Europe are keeping tabs on him.

Manchester United, for one, are understood to have shown a strong interest in the Belgian youngster and could pose a threat to Barça’s hopes of signing him.