Sir Jim Ratcliffe is currently close to securing a minority stake at Manchester United and an announcement is likely to be made before the end of the year.
Alongside his shareholding, the British billionaire will be handed control over the sporting operations at United and he could have big decisions to make in January.
The club’s hierarchy recently decided against renewing the contract of Anthony Martial expiring next summer and he could be one of the players heading for an exit.
The club are also exploring the possibility of offloading Raphael Varane, Jadon Sancho and Casemiro as they look to recoup funds for manager Erik ten Hag to spend.
Ratcliffe is expected to have a major say on future signings and in our view, he should make Royal Antwerp wonderkid Arthur Vermeeren his first signing at United.
Vermeeren is one of the most sought-after teenage midfielders in European football at the moment. He recently put up a man of the match display versus Barcelona.
The youngster has been turning heads around Europe with his performances this term and United have the chance to prise him away when the transfer window reopens.
Antwerp are looking for at least €25 million for the 18-year-old and we believe he would be a no-brainer signing for the Red Devils with his versatility from midfield.
Vermeeren is a central midfielder by trade but he can also operate from the defensive and attacking midfield positions. He would fit into the profile Ten Hag is after.
The youngster had a passing accuracy of 88 per cent in the group stage of the Champions League.
He won a stunning 3.2 tackles and 5.7 duels per game alongside 6.7 recoveries. He lost possession on just 6.5 occasions per outing which is quite impressive for his age.
In our opinion, Vermeeren and Kobbie Mainoo could establish themselves as United’s regular midfielders alongside club-captain Bruno Fernandes in the coming years.
Ratcliffe and United need to be pro-active in Vermeeren’s pursuit as many other elite European clubs could be after his signature when the transfer window reopens.
Stats from Sofascore.com
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