There was delight at Atletico Madrid when they confirmed the signing of Arthur Vermeeren during the winter transfer window. The 19-year-old has been regarded as one of the brightest midfield prospects in Europe, following an impressive 18-month period playing for Royal Antwerp.
However, since arriving in the Spanish capital, Vermeeren has struggled to establish himself. In two months, he has made just three appearances, which amounts to 83 minutes in total – really poor numbers, which suggest that he doesn’t yet have the trust of charismatic head coach Diego Simeone.
According to reports in Belgium (via Estadio Deportivo), Vermeeren is at serious risk of missing Euro 2024 if he continues to play very infrequently. He was called up by The Red Devils for this international break, but his chances of being in the squad come the summer will depend on how regularly he features for Atleti between now and the end of the season.
It’s hard to say whether Vermeeren will gain a regular starting place in the remaining weeks of the season. Atletico Madrid have a number of options ahead of him at this stage – Koke Resurreccion, Rodrigo De Paul, Marco Llorente, Saul Niguez and Pablo Barrios to name a few – so it could be trouble for the talented teenager.
