In last summer's transfer window, Atlético de Madrid made a revolution in its squad. One of the victims was Arthur Vermeeren, a player who dreamed of succeeding at Atlético de Madrid. However, Rubén Uría has confirmed the worst possible news for Arthur Vermeeren, a Leipzig player.
Arthur Vermeeren: a short but intense story
Former Antwerp midfielder Arthur Vermeerenhas arrived in Madrid to confirm his signing for Atlético Madrid . The young player, who had excelled at his Belgian club, was welcomed in the Spanish capital. After the signing and the official announcement, Vermeeren immediately put himself under the orders of Simeone , who did everything possible to help him adapt.
Although Atlético de Madrid initially resisted confirming the agreement, Vermeeren , at just 18 years old, became a player for the red-and-white club. The signing was closed for more than 20 million euros , representing a big bet by Atlético de Madrid to reinforce its squad with one of the most promising players.
Simeone and the Belgian did not understand each other
The matches went by, and the complaints from the fans began, and the questions from journalists to Simeone in the press conferences. Arthur Vermeeren was not getting any minutes after having arrived as one of the great promises of the moment. His participation in the team was non-existent, and what we did not know was that Simeone and his players saw that Vermeeren was not standing out in training.
Rubén Uría has stated in a chat on Twitch that Simeone never fully believed in Arthur Vermeeren. According to the magnificent journalist, the Argentine coach preferred to have the youth player Javi Serrano in the squad ahead of the Belgian. After this clarification, many of the fans who criticized his sale have understood the reason .
Furthermore, sources close to the club say that the players who came up from the youth system and trained with the first team left Arthur Vermeeren in a very bad position. The physical level of the boys from the academy was greater than that of the Belgian player, and his teammates noticed this in training. Finally, Simeone and the coaching staff decided to sell him to Leipzig for a sum very similar to that of his signing.
Arthur Vermeeren will try to turn things around at Leipzig
On August 26, 2024, Atlético de Madrid confirmed on their official social networks the departure of Arthur Vermeeren to Leipzig . The sale formula was a loan with a mandatory purchase option if very simple objectives were met. The Belgian will try to show the projection and quality that he showed in Antwerp , and in this way silence Simeone .
Arthur Vermeeren left Atlético Madrid in the last transfer window. After his departure, Rubén Uría has confirmed the reasons for Simeone's decision. We will see if the Belgian manages to be a starter for Leipzig in the future.