Gerard Romero recently revealed that Barcelona are looking into as many as six players as potential replacements for departing club captain Sergio Busquets.
This summer, the 34-year-old defensive midfielder will leave as a free agent, creating a huge gap in Xavi’s midfield. As a result, the Catalan heavyweights have begun brainstorming potential successors.
Martin Zubimendi remains Barcelona’s top objective despite the fact that he will cost €60m in the summer. Guido Rodriguez, another midfielder in La Liga, is also being watched.
Now, according to Romero, Barcelona are considering teenager Arthur Vermeeren of Royal Antwerp as a potential target to take Busquets’ spot at the club.
Vermeeren, who is only 18 years old, is having a strong first campaign in Belgium with Royal Antwerp. The holding midfielder has made 32 appearances in the first team in all competitions, contributing a goal and an assist.
Earlier this year in March, he also made his debut for the Belgian Under-19 national team.
The 18-year-old is known for his ball intelligence, strong distribution abilities, and how well he executes line-breaking forward passes. In addition, his positioning and anticipation make him an effective operator on the defensive side as well.
🎥 Arthur Vermeeren Highlights
💭 Barça’s scouts are recommending the player.
❓Should FC Barcelona sign the pivot?
— Barça Spaces (@BarcaSpaces) May 25, 2023
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Although the gifted teenager has a lot of potential, Barcelona may be taking a risk by signing him to replace Busquets considering his limited experience at the highest level.
Additionally, Vermeeren signed a contract renewal with Royal Antwerp in February of this year, extending his agreement through the summer of 2026. Therefore, he may demand a high transfer price.
Barcelona are interested in six other players including N’Golo Kante, Zubimendi, Rodriguez, Ruben Neves, Joshua Kimmich and Sofyan Amrabat.
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