Arsenal set to miss out as £18m target agrees transfer to Champions League side

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Arsenal were linked with a move for Belgian sensation Arthur Vermeeren, but he is now set to move to Atletico Madrid.

The 18-year-old has attracted a lot of interest having impressed at Royal Antwerp, and even scored against Barcelona in the Champions League.

The midfielder has already earned two senior International caps for Belgium, and Arsenal, as well as Barcelona, were touted as possible destinations for him.

However, both clubs have now missed out on a player once compared to Sergio Busquets, as he nears his move to Diego Simeone’s side.

Arsenal miss out as Arthur Vermeeren agrees Atletico Madrid deal

Fabrizio Romano has now revealed that Royal Antwerp and Atletico Madrid have agreed a deal which will see the teenager move to the Spanish capital for around £18m.

“Atlético Madrid are preparing formal documents for Arthur Vermeeren deal after the agreement with Antwerp on €22m fee plus add-ons,” he posted on X.

“Atléti will also speak again to Arthur and his camp today in order to complete personal terms agreement and get the deal sealed.”

€22m converts to around £18m, and the midfielder looks set to sin a long-term deal at the Civitas Metropolitano Stadium.

Should Arsenal have signed Arthur Vermeeren?

Despite his young age, Vermeeren has racked up a fair amount of senior experience, and could have made an impact this season.

However, Arsenal’s financial fair play issues meant that this deal at his current fee was unlikely to happen in this window.

Arsenal are targeting Martin Zubimendi amongst others for the summer, and whilst Vermeeren could have been a good young squad option to have, the prospect of more game time at Atletico Madrid may have been more appealing anyway.

Even someone with the quality of Emile Smith Rowe is struggling to get into the Arsenal side at the moment, and Vermeeren would likely have struggled for regular minutes initially unless he settled immediately.

Although he seems highly talented, and Arsenal have scouted him in recent months, there are plenty of other midfield targets Mikel Arteta can turn to in the summer. Argentine midfielders Exequiel Palacios and Ezequiel Fernandez are among the names linked, and even if Arsenal do land Zubimendi, they could make another addition depending on departures.

If Vermeeren develops well at Atletico Madrid, Arsenal may continue to keep an eye on him, but if they want him further down the line, he would cost a lot more than what Atletico are paying right now.