| Arthur Vermeeren | |
| Full Name: | Arthur Denis Vermeeren |
| Birth Date: | 7 February 2005 |
| Birth Place: | Lier, Belgium |
| Height: | 1.80 m[1] |
| Position: | Midfielder |
| Currentclub: | Atlético Madrid |
| Clubnumber: | 18 |
| Youthyears1: | 2018–2022 |
| Youthclubs1: | Royal Antwerp |
| Years1: | 2022 |
| Clubs1: | Royal Antwerp II |
| Caps1: | 6 |
| Goals1: | 1 |
| Years2: | 2022–2024 |
| Clubs2: | Royal Antwerp |
| Caps2: | 47 |
| Goals2: | 2 |
| Years3: | 2024– |
| Clubs3: | Atlético Madrid |
| Caps3: | 5 |
| Goals3: | 0 |
| Nationalyears1: | 2021–2022 |
| Nationalteam1: | Belgium U17 |
| Nationalcaps1: | 10 |
| Nationalgoals1: | 0 |
| Nationalyears2: | 2022 |
| Nationalteam2: | Belgium U18 |
| Nationalcaps2: | 3 |
| Nationalgoals2: | 0 |
| Nationalyears3: | 2023 |
| Nationalteam3: | Belgium U19 |
| Nationalcaps3: | 3 |
| Nationalgoals3: | 0 |
| Nationalyears4: | 2023– |
| Nationalteam4: | Belgium U21 |
| Nationalcaps4: | 1 |
| Nationalgoals4: | 0 |
| Nationalyears5: | 2023– |
| Nationalteam5: | Belgium |
| Nationalcaps5: | 4 |
| Nationalgoals5: | 0 |
| Club-Update: | 23:58, 25 May 2024 (UTC) |
| Nationalteam-Update: | 5 June 2024 |
Arthur Denis Vermeeren (born 7 February 2005) is a Belgian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for La Liga club Atlético 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 Lillestrøm SK on 11 August 2022.[2] He told the media after his debut that he could not imagine a better debut.[3] 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."[4]
In April 2023, Vermeeren was a starter in the 2023 Belgian Cup Final as Antwerp defeated KV Mechelen 2–0.[5] On 14 May, he scored his first goal for Antwerp in a 3–2 win over Club Brugge during the Champions' play-off.[6]
On 23 July 2023, Vermeeren was a starter in the Belgian Super Cup as Antwerp defeated KV Mechelen on penalty kicks.[7] On 19 September, he made his Champions League debut in a 5–0 defeat against Barcelona.[8] On 13 December, he scored his first Champions League goal in a 3–2 victory in the return leg against the same opponent.[9] Vermeeren was awarded Man of the Match for his performance and told reporters in the post-match interview: "Today, a dream came true. I am very happy and I hope I have made my family proud."[10] 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.[11]
On 26 January 2024, Vermeeren joined La Liga club Atlético Madrid on a six-and-a-half-year contract.[12] 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.[13]
Vermeeren played for the Belgian youth teams, featuring for the Belgium U17 in the 2022 European Under-17 Championship.[14] He debuted for the Belgian senior squad on 13 October 2023, coming off the bench in the 87th minute to replace Johan Bakayoko, in a 3–2 away victory over Austria during the UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying.[15] On 28 May 2024, Vermeeren was named in the 25-man squad for the UEFA Euro 2024.[16]
| Season | League | National cup | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
| Royal Antwerp II | 2022–23 | Belgian National Division 1 | 6 | 1 | — | — | — | 6 | 1 | ||||
| Royal Antwerp | 2022–23 | Belgian Pro League | 26 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 2[17] | 0 | 0 | 0 | 34 | 1 | |
| 2023–24 | 21 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 7[18] | 0 | 1[19] | 0 | 31 | 1 | |||
| Total | 47 | 2 | 8 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 65 | 2 | |||
| Atlético Madrid | 2023–24 | La Liga | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 5 | 0 | ||
| Career total | 58 | 3 | 8 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 76 | 3 | |||
| Belgium | 2023 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2024 | 2 | 0 | ||
| Total | 4 | 0 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Royal Antwerp
2023[23]