Royal Antwerp FC have strengthened their defence with the signing of Álvaro Cortés from FC Barcelona. The 21-year-old Spaniard has signed a four-year contract. The club currently sits ninth in the Jupiler Pro League with 7 points from four games, following a strong start that included two wins and a draw.
The move for Álvaro Cortés was officially confirmed by FC Barcelona on Tuesday. Cited by VoetbalFocus, Antwerp are paying around 3.5 million euros for the centre-back. Barcelona have secured a significant sell-on percentage for any future transfer. Cortés, who came through the Catalan club's academy and made his first-team debut there, was already in attendance at the Bosuil last weekend.
Cortés's arrival is a targeted move for a defence that could use extra options after a 1-4 loss to STVV. Head coach Marvin Compper gains an additional option for his squad. The deal was completed after a summer where many decisions, partly due to the club's takeover, were delayed.
Despite a turbulent summer, Antwerp began the league campaign in surprisingly good form. The Great Old recorded wins against promoted sides SK Beveren and KV Kortrijk and drew with KRC Genk after a spectacular comeback from 1-4 down to 4-4. According to an analysis by GVA, this strong start is partly thanks to the work of interim coach Faris Haroun at the end of last season and the early appointment of Marvin Compper.
Haroun, who took charge for the final two matches last season, introduced talents like Modibo Fofana and Jules Ahoka. The latter was even sold to Sunderland for over 10 million euros. Compper, who knew Haroun from coaching courses, was therefore able to quickly build on an existing foundation and an offensive mindset. The young squad showed resilience, resulting in 10 goals scored and 9 conceded this season.
Last Saturday's match against KRC Genk turned into a rollercoaster. Antwerp, after taking an early lead through Valencia, found themselves 1-4 down but fought back to 4-4 in the closing stages. The penalty that led to the 3-4 was "feather-light", according to De Standaard, but Michael Frey did not hesitate from the spot and later headed in the equaliser.
Genk manager Thorup was stunned. "I don't think I've ever experienced this before," he told De Standaard after the match. He said his team failed collectively and individually and stopped playing after making it 2-4. The comeback earned Antwerp a valuable point and confidence.
With the arrival of Cortés, Antwerp hopes to find more stability at the back. The immediate focus is on the next league match, an away fixture against Standard Liège on September 5th. Standard currently sit fifth, promising a tough test. Antwerp's recent form is LDWW, based on their last four outings.
The club is aiming for European football with this young core, but the margin for error is small. The coming weeks will show if the blend of youthful energy and new reinforcements is enough for consistency. All upcoming matches can be found on our fixtures page. Álvaro Cortés has signed a contract until the summer of 2030.
