Barcelona will go into tonight’s game against Royal Antwerp at Montjuic with the single aim of securing all three points and start their UEFA Champions League campaign on a winning note.
At the same time, though, Xavi and the Blaugrana will have another agenda for tonight’s game – getting a closer look at a certain Arthur Vermeeren.
The 18-year-old Royal Antwerp starlet is a player of interest for Barcelona, with the club having scouted him on multiple occasions in the past.
A defensive midfielder by trade, the Belgian is seen as a long-term option for the pivot position and tonight, all eyes will be on him to see how he performs at the biggest stage.
€20 million the asking price
Amidst this Gabriel Sans of Mundo Deportivo is reporting that Royal Antwerp are very much aware of the growing interest in Vermeeren from Barcelona and other clubs.
And, as such, the Belgian champions have set the young midfielder’s valuation at €20 million ahead of a possible exit next summer.
As iterated earlier, Barça have scouted him live in action on multiple occasions, thrice to be precise, and have good reports on the young midfielder.
However, they are not making any moves right away and wish to continue monitoring Vermeeren before taking a call on his signing.
Vermeeren attracting a lot of interest
There appears to be no shortage of interest in Vermeeren’s services, however, which could pose an issue for Barcelona.
The report claims that Bundesliga giants Borussia Dortmund are very much in the hunt for the 18-year-old midfield prodigy.
Meanwhile, it has previously been suggested that clubs like Manchester United, Liverpool, and AFC Ajax are also monitoring him.
This could become a problem for Barça as the growing interest could lead to Vermeeren’s asking price going up beyond the current €20 million valuation.
It remains to be seen how this situation develops and much could hinge on how the youngster’s audition tonight at Montjuic goes.
