Borussia Dortmund allegedly consider move for Royal Antwerp’s Arthur Vermeeren
Borussia Dortmund are allegedly among a host of European clubs looking into targeting Royal Antwerp prodigy Arthur Vermeeren.
Reports coming out of the Netherlands have linked Borussia Dortmund with a potential swoop for Royal Antwerp midfielder Arthur Vermeeren. Vermeeren, while just 18, is highly rated and has been one of the pillars upon which Antwerp and head coach Mark van Bommel have built the club’s recent level of success. Antwerp became Champions of the Belgian Pro league last season, with Vermeeren starting 24 games.
Typically deployed a defensive midfielder, Vermeeren is lauded for his ability to read the game and shut down opposition attempts to make use of attacking scenarios. His performances have attracted interest from clubs such as Barcelona, Ajax, RB Leipzig, and, as mentioned, Borussia Dortmund, among others. This multi-faceted level of interest makes it clear that any attempt to sign the player could possibly be quite a tough race.
As of right now, Dortmund have both Emre Can and Salih Ozcan to rely on in defensive midfield, but things can certainly change quickly in football, as we know. Salih Ozcan in particular has had offers for his services from Turkey, and while this time the offers came around relatively late in the transfer window, a future move is not out of the question as Ozcan himself has not hit the ground running since joining last year from FC Köln.
A move for Vermeeren would make sense in many ways. It would continue Dortmund’s post-Jude Bellingham midfield revamp by adding fresh, young talent to the ranks. He would add a bit more diversity to Dortmunds play in the sense that he is less one dimensional than Ozcan. Vermeeren can also play as a deep lying play-maker, which would be very valuable for a team like Dortmund at this time. The player brings a blend of creativity and defensive solidity that Dortmund could really benefit from moving forward.
Next. Expected Borussia Dortmund lineup vs SC Freiburg. dark
According to the report in question, Vermeeren would cost any interested club anywhere between 15-20 million euros, which in this day and age is a paltry sum to part with for a midfielder who could become a core asset on the pitch. For a club like Dortmund, this would be quite the coup if they are interested, and it would be a transfer that would go a long way towards adding a bit more quality into a midfield that still seems to be finding it’s way after this summer’s exodus.