Manchester United eyeing £20m priced midfielder who plays ‘the same’ as Andres Iniesta
Manchester United are eyeing Arthur Vermeeren and the Royal Antwerp ace admits there is some truth to the suggestion that his playing style resembles that of Spanish legend Andres Iniesta.
The road from Old Trafford to Antwerp was particularly well traveled in the early to mid-2000s.
John O’Shea, Fraizer Campbell, Dong Fangzhuo and Luke Chadwick were among those who enjoyed a loan spell with the Belgian side twenty years ago. Until now, however, this particular ‘road’ has been less dual carriageway and more one way.
However, the £20million Arthur Vermeeren could potentially go the other way; the Daily Mail reports that Manchester United are “eyeing” the coveted 18-year-old. Is Arthur Vermeeren the Belgian Andres
Is he Iniesta?
As the Belgian Golden Generation becomes more like an “older generation,” Vermeeren – like Charles de Ketelaere, Romeo Lavia and others – is an up-and-coming talent that many hope will usher in a transition to a bright new era.
“All the compliments are justified,” Antwerp goalkeeper Jean Butez told RTBF. “He has a really incredible composure and maturity. He still has to learn how to be effective in the important moments of the match. But when I see him every day, he’s a great talent.
“Belgium is lucky to have this kind of talent.”
Given that Vermeeren’s most notable attributes are his balletic footwork, his almost supernatural vision and his remarkable composure in possession, comparisons to a man who kept Barcelona’s clock ticking during more than a decade of reign they are not only inevitable, but also accurate.
“Every comparison is difficult because every player is different,” Vermeeren told Gazet Van Antwerp.
“(Andres) Iniesta is one of the best midfielders ever. I haven’t gotten there yet. But I’m the same kind of player.”
‘The world at his feet’
Vermeeren, like fellow youngsters Otto Rosengren, Rasmus Hojlund and Bart Verbruggen, would be a signature with the future in mind, but also the present. Someone who is capable of expanding Erik ten Hag’s squad as he hones his talents under the management of Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro with a view to a starting place sometime later.
“That boy has a lot of quality,” adds Vincent Janssen, the former Tottenham Hotspur striker who now plays alongside Vermeeren at the Bosuil Stadium.
“There is enough talk about him these days. For me, he’s just a great up-and-coming talent. The guy runs for everything and tackles too. He also got a yellow card (in a recent Jupiler League match) and I liked that. That hard work has to come in.
“Like I said, that boy has the world at his feet.”