Royal Antwerp youngster Arthur Vermeeren has admitted that interest from the likes of Newcastle United has come “faster than expected”.
Vermeeren has established himself as one of the upcoming youngsters in Belgian football this season after being handed his debut by manager Mark van Bommel in October last year.
He’s been a regular for the Belgian side since, making 14 appearances in the Jupiler Pro League and featuring in 43% of the available minutes in the league so far.
That has earned him plenty of attention, with a potential call-up to Domenico Tedesco’s Belgium squad being mooted and sides around Europe reportedly interested in his signature.
Newcastle United are one of them, with Eddie Howe’s side looking to focus on young players moving forwards as they develop their project.
The 18-year-old would fit the bill and when asked about the interest from the likes of Newcastle, he admits it arrived sooner than he thought it would.
“Everything went faster than expected,” he told Het Laatste Nieuws.
“That’s only positive. At the same time, not much has changed in my life. I play with the first team at the weekend, but otherwise… I still go to school outside of football and I’m at home stayed myself.
“I keep my feet on the ground and that’s the most important thing.
“I’m not at all concerned with those kinds of rumours. I also realise that I can’t sit anywhere better at the moment than at Antwerp.
“There is a lot of mutual trust and I can continue to grow here. Why would I want to leave already?”
