Newcastle set to battle Manchester United for £20m Belgian - Report

As reported by The Mail, Newcastle have joined Manchester United in monitoring Royal Antwerp midfielder Arthur Vermeeren.

The 18-year-old made his first-team debut in the Europa Conference League back in August and has since gone on to make 17 appearances across all competitions for the Belgian side. 

He is also highly-rated by the national team after making multiple appearances for both the Belgian Under-17s and Under-18s and has been tipped by his coach, Mark van Bommel, to make a huge impact in the senior squad. 

Royal Antwerp are currently valuing his services at around £20m and there will be little room for negotiating after the teenager recently signed a new contract extension lasting until 2026. 

It will be a tough ask to secure the promising youngster, but Vermeeren certainly fits the bill for our long-term project. It's a lot of money for a relatively untested teen, yet could prove to be a bargain should he live up to his full potential.