The current record sale is the €36.5m - £31m - AC Milan paid to sign Charles De Ketelaere from Club Brugge in 2022.
Still, for a player dubbed "one of the most complete young midfielders in Europe" by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, who has three years left on his current contract, that might prove to be value for money.
Arthur Vermeeren could be Arsenal's next Declan Rice
Now, that is a huge statement that isn't lost on anybody, but with how highly thought of Vermeeren is, how impressive he has been in the last couple of years and the position in which he plays, it isn't the most outlandish of comparisons.
In fact, it is one that has been made by others as well. For example, GOAL's Thomas Hindle specifically makes mention of the Arsenal man as the player most like the intelligent Belgian, pointing out their similar career trajectories, their ability to play in a box-to-box role, sniffing out danger and helping their side progress the ball up the pitch.
The pair also share an impressive level of match intelligence, with David Penneman, Belgium U17 coach, saying (via Football Talent Scout): "It was his inconspicuousness that caught my attention. Arthur solved problems before they could be imagined, by constantly scanning the environment and playing football efficiently. He thought two steps faster than the rest."
Finally, when comparing the pair's underlying numbers, the "excellent talent", as described by U23 scout Antonio Mango, does remarkably well. He doesn't come out on top, but considering the six-year age gap between the two, he is producing numbers closer to that of Rice than many might expect.
The Lier-born prospect seriously impresses with his offensive statistics, ability to win tackles, and ball recovery numbers, and while the weaker league should be taken into consideration, the fact that he is performing like this at age 18 suggests that the hype around him is very much justified.
Arthur Vermeeren vs Declan Rice
Stats (per 90)
Vermeeren
Rice
Non-Penalty Expected Goals + Assists
0.20
0.21
Progressive Passes
7.44
7.53
Progressive Carries
1.07
1.56
Shots on Target
0.30
0.39
Passing Accuracy
85.7%
90.8%
Shot-Creating Action
2.26
1.76
Goal-Creating Actions
0.24
0.00
Tackles Won
1.31
1.23
Interceptions
1.37
1.56
Ball Recoveries
7.62
5.26
All Stats via FBref for the 2023/24 Domestic Season
Ultimately, if Arsenal can sign "one of Belgium's biggest jewels", as dubbed by Jacek Kulig, they should.
He doesn't have to come in and be a first-teamer right away; just having him learn from Rice in training could do wonders for him, and the Gunners could have a ready-made replacement if the Englishman moves on at any stage - or even the perfect partner.
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