West Ham United must move for Arthur Vermeeren after display v Barcelona
Royal Antwerp coach Frank Boeckx claimed Arthur Vermeer was the main reason his side were able to hold their own against Barcelona, showing West Ham need to make their move as soon as possible.
The coach was full of praise for Vermeeren, who at just 18 years old, was able to look comfortable and stand out from his teammates despite the eventual 5-0 defeat in the Champions League clash.
West Ham were linked with a move for Vermeeren recently, as it was claimed they had scouts attending his games, but would face competition from Barcelona, Dortmund and Monaco [Mundo Deportivo, 15 September].
Speaking in his press conference after the Champions League clash, Boeckx told Voetbal Primeur: “Unfortunately, they are drowned along with the rest, but put Vermeeren or Keita on the other side and they will participate easily.
“He [Vermeeren] is the reason that Antwerp was able to escape the pressure of Barcelona in the beginning. He was certainly okay on the ball, to the extent that he has shown that in terms of speed, he can keep up with the pace that Barcelona uses.
“His passes are sometimes of such quality that you expect them on the other side [at Barcelona] but in the end, the ball became elusive for Antwerp and then Vermeeren alone can do little about that.”
West Ham will have to move quickly if they want to make their interest official, with even coaches of his current club touting him for a move to Barcelona, which seems like it will probably be his eventual destination – but perhaps he can go via East London?
Having sent scouts to keep an eye on him, it is clear the Hammers hold an interest in bringing him to the club, and if they want to make it happen they will need to make the first move, with the competition fierce for his signature.
At just 18 years old, Vermeeren is already showing he can perform at the highest level, and an impressive display against the most highly regarded possession side in the world will have done his reputation no disservice in his rapid rise to global attention.
West Ham’s technical director Tim Steidten would likely be the one backing this deal, with his knowledge of European football and eye for young talent the reason he was brought to the club, and the club should lend him their full support in this deal.
In other West Ham news, the Hammers should give one young gem his chance in the perfect Europa League opportunity.