Mark van Bommel hopes Barcelona and Manchester United target will remain with Antwerp | OneFootball

In an interview with HLN, Antwerp head coach Mark van Bommel was asked about Arthur Vermeeren being ranked 14th in the Golden Boy Awards. Ironically, the head coach had not actually heard about the news, but was still keen to praise the teenager who burst onto the scene last season as the side won the league for the first time since 1957.

Vermeeren has been attracting interest from many top clubs in Europe, with both Barcelona and Manchester United having been explicitly named. However, van Bommel hopes that Vermeeren will remain at Antwerp for a few more seasons. While he was keen to stress that at some point he will need to move for his own development, the former Barcelona midfielder said ‘But let’s not take that next big step for a while’. Recently the midfielder himself has said that he is happy to stay with the club where he came through the academy for the time being.

It appears that, should any transfer take place, both player and Antwerp remain keen to include a loan back option so that they can continue the success that has been found since the teenager made his first team debut last season. Furthermore, it is likely that any sale of Vermeeren will require a fee of at least €20m.

GBeNeFN | Ben Jackson