Barcelona 'leading Manchester United, Liverpool in Arthur Vermeeren race'

Barcelona are reportedly currently in the strongest position to sign Royal Antwerp teenager Arthur Vermeeren.

The 18-year-old's future is currently the subject of much speculation, with a number of the biggest clubs in Europe believed to have expressed an interest in his signature.

Manchester United and Liverpool are both said to be keen on the Belgium Under-21s international, while Ajax are also allegedly being kept informed of any developments surrounding his future.

However, according to Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona are at the head of the queue, with the Catalan outfit already putting in the groundwork.

The report claims that the La Liga club's new sporting director Deco has met with senior figures at Antwerp to discuss a move to Camp Nou, with Blaugrana confident that they will be able to win the race for his signature despite the level of competition.

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The youngster has already faced Barcelona this season, playing the full 90 minutes of Antwerp's 5-0 defeat to the La Liga champions in the Champions League on September 19.

Antwerp head coach Mark van Bommel was asked about the alleged interest from Barcelona earlier this month and joked that he was not prepared to speak to the Catalan side's head coach Xavi about his player.

"I won't give him any information, because he would buy him immediately," said Van Bommel.

The ex-Barcelona midfielder later added: "I am very happy that he has been playing with us all this time. It is incredible how he has improved in one year. Since he started playing he has been decisive. He is not only interesting for Barcelona but for all the teams."

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Vermeeren came through the youth system at Antwerp, representing their various age groups before making his first-team debut in August 2022.

The midfielder has now featured on 46 occasions for the Belgian outfit, scoring once and providing four assists in the process.

This season, the Belgian has provided two assists in 12 outings in all competitions, with the youngster already a guaranteed starter for the Reds despite the fact that he will not turn 19 until February.

Antwerp are expected to find it difficult to keep the midfielder beyond next summer, although he signed a contract extension in February, with his current deal having another three years left to run.