Arthur Vermeeren: Who is RB Leipzig's new teenage midfielder? (2024)

Age:19
Club:RB Leipzig
Position:Midfielder
Country:Belgium (four caps)

Despite not yet being in his 20s, Vermeeren already has plenty of football under his belt, especially at former club Royal Antwerp. Born in Lier, the local boy made his debut at the age of just 17 in August 2022 when he came on in the second half of his side’s UEFA Europa Conference qualification clash with Lillestrøm. His manager that day was former Bayern Munich and Netherlands enforcer Mark Van Bommel – a man who knows a thing or two about patrolling the middle of the park.

Still, Vermeeren did not appear to be part of Van Bommel’s immediate plans, instead spending the start of the 2022/23 term with Antwerp’s second team. However, after featuring for six minutes against Oostende in October due to injuries, he started all of Antwerp’s final 30 games of the campaign in all competitions. His presence proved crucial as he helped The Reds win the Belgian league title for the first time in 62 years, a success which was complimented by Belgian Cup and Supercup triumphs that completed a historic treble. He also took home the Belgian Young Footballer of the Year award.

Vermeeren continued to shine and was again one of the first names on the team sheet in 2023/24. Antwerp’s achievements in the previous campaign, as well as a qualification round victory over AEK Athens, secured a maiden UEFA Champions League participation, and Vermeeren played in all eight games during that run, even wearing the captain’s armband in the 2-0 victory over Porto. The Belgians were unable to progress from the group, but did sign off with a memorable 3-2 victory over Barcelona, a game in which Vermeeren scored.

By this point, Europe’s top clubs were keeping a close eye on the prodigy, and Atlético eventually clinched his services in January 2024 after he made 64 successive starts for Antwerp in all competitions. However, he struggled for minutes in Spain and made just five appearances before moving to Leipzig on 26 August 2024.

Internationally, he turned out for Belgium’s U17s, U18s, U19s and U21s before making his debut as a substitute in a 3-2 2024 UEFA European Championships qualifying win over Austria. He was eventually named in the 25-yard squad for the finals in Germany, although he didn’t feature as Les Diables Rouges exited at the round of 16 stage.

Plays a bit like: Joshua KimmichVermeeren is a deep-lying playmaker who, even at his young age, possesses a wide passing range as well as the vision needed to bring others further forward into play. These are qualities Kimmich has brought to Bayern Munich and Germany for a decade, both from midfield and right-back.

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Did you know?Much like Andrès Iniesta and Ronaldinho, both of whom played futsal as youngsters, Vermeeren’s strong technical ability and composure on the ball means he is suited to the indoor, faster-paced version of the Beautiful Game. It is no surprise, then, that he turned out and impressed for Belgian futsal outfit Club 80 Malle during his youth.

What they’re saying“Arthur is a top player, we will be able to see him in a few years. He will be worth much more when he has played several games for Atletico Madrid." - former Royal Antwerp head coach Mark Van Bommel“Arthur is a kind of player that we don't have in the squad yet. He now gives us a more specialized type of depth and variability in the team and additional options. He has an excellent view of his surroundings, calmness on the ball, a high level of game intelligence and a good opening of the game. He's also a strong tackler, dynamic and has an impressive level of stamina. While negotiating for him, we clearly sensed his will and ambition to bring his game onto the pitch in order to achieve our ambitions with us." - Rouven Schröder, Leipzig sporting director

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