Arsenal have been linked with a move for Royal Antwerp wonderkid Arthur Vermeeren over the last several months – recently, former players Marc Degryse and Steven Defour have advised him to move to Arsenal or Brighton instead of Chelsea.

Speaking on Belgian media outlet Het Laaste News, Marc Degryse said: “What Vermeeren is especially not allowed to do is go to a club like Chelsea or Manchester United, where they buy thirty or forty players and then loan you out. What they do is gamble. You don’t give confidence to a player like that.”

Former Burnley midfielder Steven Defour, who was also on the panel, added: “Chelsea [are] too volatile. Those types of clubs simply put a player worth €30 million in the stands.”

Chelsea aren’t the only team who Arsenal will have to compete with to secure Vermeeren’s signature – Erik ten Hag’s Manchester United are also believed to be interested in the 18-year-old, as are Catalonian giants Barcelona.

What would Arthur Vermeeren add to the Arsenal squad?

Vermeeren is certainly far from the finished product at this fledgling state in his career – should Arsenal snap him up in the next couple of weeks, he would be one for the future, rather than a player who can come into the team and produce instant results.

Nevertheless, Vermeeren possesses a natural technical ability that very few players can boast. His passing and ball control are both absolutely sublime, though he still has work to do when it comes to making the right decision on the pitch.

Despite his very young age, Vermeeren has already won a pair of caps for his native Belgium, having previously represented them at several youth levels. This season, the youngster has scored two goals and has notched up six assists in 31 appearances over the course of all competitions.