Arsenal closing in on the January capture of €20 million-rated Barcelona midfield target

Arthur Vermeeren is seemingly becoming one of the most sought-after young midfielders in European markets, especially following his rapid breakthrough at Royal Antwerp.

The Belgian has racked up almost 50 competitive appearances for Royal Antwerp at the age of just 18. He most recently made his debut for the Belgian national team during the international break this week.

Vermeeren’s rapid rise to prominence has not gone unnoticed, with Barcelona among the European giants interested in securing his services.

Vermeeren closing in on January move to Arsenal

Despite Barça’s interest in the player, however, it appears Arthur Vermeeren is closing in on a move to Arsenal, in the upcoming January transfer window.

This is according to SPORT, which suggests that Mikel Arteta is a huge fan of the Belgian midfielder and wants him to sign for the club in January.

Arsenal are reportedly prepared to fork out €20 million for Vermeeren, which is quite a fortune for an 18-year-old, with no experience of playing in any of Europe’s top-five leagues.

As a result, the Gunners appear to be the frontrunner in the race to sign the Royal Antwerp midfielder, in the upcoming January transfer window.

Barcelona likely to lose out on Vermeeren

With Arsenal ready to splash €20 million for Vermeeren, Barcelona are, unfortunately, though not in a position to compete with the Gunners.

The Catalans simply do not have the capacity to splash such a fortune on a teenage midfield sensation, even though the player is highly rated in the Barça camp.

Barcelona, though, have identified other potential candidates in the market, in their bid to reinforce the midfield department.

The list of players includes Gabriel Moscardo, Sergi Altimira, and Guido Rodriguez, among other talented stars, who are more than capable of adding more depth to Barça’s midfield ranks.

Player valuation in title obtained from transfermarkt.com on date of publication.