Arthur Vermeeren of Royal Antwerp has been pushed to join Brighton rather than Premier League rivals Chelsea or Manchester United.
The 18-year-old has been linked with Albion, Arsenal, Barcelona, United, and the Blues after shining at the Belgian outfit over the past 18 months.
Now, the midfielder, who has scored three goals and bagged eight assists in 65 matches, has been advised to steer clear of Stamford Bridge or Old Trafford by former Sheffield United forward Marc Degryse.
He said on Het Laatste Nieuws: “What Vermeeren is especially not allowed to do is go to a club like Chelsea or Manchester United, where they buy thirty or forty players and then loan you out. What they do is gamble. You don’t give confidence to a player like that.”
On the same show, ex-Burnley man Steven Defour added that the Seagulls would be the right destination for the teenager, whose contract runs until 2026.
The former Belgian international feels Chelsea is not the right environment for him to continue his development but Albion have a strong reputation for honing up-and-coming talent.
“Chelsea is too volatile. Those types of clubs simply put a player worth €30m in the stands,” he said. When asked if Vermeeren should pick Brighton or United, he replied: “Brighton! Brighton!”
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