Man Utd handed perfect opportunity to sign BARGAIN Baleba alternative

Tom Weber

• Updated: 23 Aug 2025 18:11 BST
• 9 min read

Analysis

Manchester United have been offered the chance to reignite their pursuit of Belgium international Arthur Vermeeren following the news that RB Leipzig are already willing to sell the midfielder.

The Red Devils are known to be in the market for reinforcements in the centre of the park. A potential move for Carlos Baleba has proved fruitless due to Brighton's not-for-sale stance.

The Cameroon international remains on Man Utd's radar for the future, but he will not be signed this summer, forcing the Old Trafford club to explore alternatives.

Compared

Carlos Baleba

DM, M (C)

Brighton

Carlos Baleba

DM, M (C)

Brighton

VS

Angelo Stiller

DM, M (C)

VfB Stuttgart

Angelo Stiller

DM, M (C)

VfB Stuttgart

€55.3M	ETV	€47.8M
€49.8M - €60.9M	ETV Range	€43M - €52.6M
21 years old (03 Jan, 2004)	Age	24 years old (04 Apr, 2001)
Cameroon	Nationality	Germany

Stuttgart star Angelo Stiller has emerged as a player who is admired, but he is just as unlikely to move this late in the window as Baleba. However, a new option appears to be emerging in the Bundesliga.

RB Leipzig kicked off the new season away at Bayern on Friday, suffering a chastening 6-0 loss under new boss Ole Werner. Conspicuously absent from the match was young midfielder Arthur Vermeeren, who appears to be a major victim of Leipzig's summer overhaul.

Vermeeren could be Man Utd's Baleba alternative

Vermeeren has endured a few difficult years, having initially emerged as one of Europe's most promising midfield prospects at Royal Antwerp. A move to Atletico Madrid in January 2024 came too early, and he struggled to establish himself in Diego Simeone's side.

He left for Leipzig just six months later in a loan deal that was eventually made permanent for €20 million. This is his first summer as a full-time player for the German side, but he has already been deemed surplus to requirements.

Leipzig quite simply have too many midfielders on their books right now, and they have an agreement with Shakhtar Donetsk midfielder Marlon Gomes to join, so they need to get rid of several players.

Vermeeren is a player who can fetch a decent fee, and transfer insider Sacha Tavolieri has confirmed that he has been made available by Leipzig. This could be a prime opportunity for Man Utd, who were interested in the Belgian when he broke through at Antwerp.

Given that Vermeeren only cost Leipzig €20m, he likely won't command a fee higher than €30m-€40m as he currently boasts an Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) of €27.8m. He would therefore be a much more affordable alternative to Baleba.

What's more, data analytics firm SciSports believes that he has the potential to become a key player for Man Utd in the future. Vermeeren is a year younger than Baleba and has similar potential (84) to the Brighton star (88.2).

Vermeeren has also shown that he can assume different midfield roles, having played both as a deep-lying destroyer and a more energetic, sophisticated box-to-box player. He will provide the legs that Ruben Amorim so desperately wants in his midfield.

He started 26 games for Leipzig last term, but his lack of Premier League experience is a worry. It would likely take some time for him to get up to speed with the level of the Premier League, but Vermeeren has the skills to eventually become an elite midfielder.

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