Arthur Vermeeren

Arthur Denis Vermeeren (born 7 February 2005) is a Belgian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for La Liga club Atletico Madrid and the Belgium national team. Vermeeren made his professional debut for Royal Antwerp as a second half substitute in the 2022–23 UEFA Europa Conference League at home in Antwerp at the Bosuilstadion in a 2–0 second leg win against Lillestrom SK on 11 August 2022. He told the media after his debut that he could not have imagined a better debut. He received praise from coach Mark Van Bommel who was quoted as saying "Arthur is a smart footballer, a fun guy to work with. He is eager to learn and show he can play. So he will get some playing time. He enjoyed it, I think. It's nice to see." In April 2023, Vermeeren was a starter in the 2023 Belgian Cup Final as Antwerp defeated KV Mechelen 2–0. On 14 May, he scored his first goal for Antwerp in a 3–2 win over Club Brugge during the Champions' play-off. On 23 July 2023, Vermeeren was a starter in the Belgian Super Cup as Antwerp defeated KV Mechelen on penalty kicks. On 19 September, he made his Champions League debut in a 5–0 defeat against Barcelona. On 13 December, he scored his first Champions League goal in a 3–2 victory in the return leg against the same opponent. Vermeeren was awarded Man of the Match for his performance, and in the post-match interview told reporters "Today a dream came true. I am very happy and I hope I have made my family proud.". Vermeeren ended his season at Antwerp with 8 G/A in 32 games in all competitions. Prior to his departure from the club, he made 64 consecutive starts across all competitions for the club, playing 99.4% of the available minutes during that run. On 26 January 2024, Vermeeren joined La Liga club Atletico Madrid on a six-and-a-half-year contract. The deal reportedly included a €18 million transfer fee, with up to €5 million in add-ons, and Royal Antwerp keeping a 10% sell-on clause. Vermeeren played for the Belgian youth teams, in which he featured for the Belgium U17 in the 2022 European Under-17 Championship. On 13 October 2023, he made his debut for the senior Belgium national team, coming off the bench in the 87th minute to substitute Johan Bakayoko, in a 3–2 away win over Austria during the Euro 2024 qualifying.

CLUB Royal Antwerp Belgian Pro League: 2022–23 Belgian Cup: 2022–23 Belgian Super Cup: 2023 INDIVIDUAL Young Professional Footballer of the Year: 2022–23 Best youngster of the year: 2023