In terms of the top teams in La Liga, there’s little doubt that Atletico Madrid had the best winter transfer window. Horatiu Moldovan arrived to take the place of Ivo Grbic as deputy to Jan Oblak, while Gabriel Paulista joined from Valencia to provide depth at centre-back. The most impressive deal saw Arthur Vermeeren signed from Royal Antwerp, with Diego Simeone finally getting his hands on a new midfielder.
Over the last 12 months, Vermeeren had attracted interest from several top clubs across Europe, including Barcelona and Arsenal. However, it was Atleti that won the race in January, much to the delight of the club’s supporters.
Vermeeren has been considered as one of the brightest midfield prospects in Europe of late, and he’s certainly made a big impression so far at Atleti. Diario AS say that Simeone and his coaching staff have been delighted with the teenager’s start, and they view with as a “future star” for their project.
🚨🇧🇪 Arthur Vermeeren is leaving very good impressions in training.
Diego Simeone and especially his assistant Nelson Vivas see a future star project. They believe he has personality and a lot of talent for his age.@edu17burgos pic.twitter.com/EZLvUt9vGS
— Atletico Universe (@atletiuniverse) February 2, 2024
Vermeeren made his debut for Atletico Madrid on Wednesday against Rayo Vallecano, where he played the opening 45 minutes. He is sure to be an important player for Simeone not only for the rest of this season, but for many years going forward.
