Royal Antwerp FC significantly strengthened their midfield on the final day of the Belgian transfer window with two new arrivals. Arthur Vermeeren returns to De Bosuil on loan, while 20-year-old Bahmed Deuff has also joined from FC Nantes.
Arthur Vermeeren makes a notable return to the club where he broke through as one of Belgium's biggest talents. The 21-year-old midfielder left for Atlético Madrid for twenty million euros in January 2024 but never settled there. After spells at RB Leipzig and Olympique Marseille, Antwerp now offers him the chance to revive his career. Technical director Marc Overmars seized his opportunity on the last day of the transfer window. Vermeeren will play for The Great Old on loan for the rest of the season. The club currently sits ninth in the Jupiler Pro League with seven points from four matches, five points behind leaders Charleroi. Vermeeren's arrival is expected to immediately boost the quality in midfield.
Bahmed Deuff becomes the second midfielder Antwerp secured on transfer deadline day. The 20-year-old Mauritanian arrives from French side FC Nantes, where he broke into the first team last season. Standing at 1.94 meters tall, his physical qualities are meant to add presence and ball-winning ability to Antwerp's midfield. The club had been searching for an extra midfielder for some time, especially after a potential move for Nemanja Gudelj fell through. Deuff had already played minutes for Nantes in Ligue 1 this season and is viewed as a versatile player. His arrival, alongside Vermeeren's and the earlier return of Mauricio Benitez, provides a major quality injection to the midfield. Fans can view the full squad on our squad page.
The 19-year-old Nigerian forward Gabriel Jesus David is moving to Austrian club SKN St. Pölten. He will spend the season on loan in the 2. Liga, with an option to buy for the Austrian side. David made eleven senior appearances for Antwerp last season but did not get the playing time needed for his development. St. Pölten sporting director Christoph Freitag is pleased with the signing of the young striker. "He definitely has a very exciting profile and will give us more flexibility in attack with his physicality," Freitag said. Head coach Cem Sekerlioglu added that David had already shown his goalscoring ability during trial sessions. For the Nigerian, this is a chance to gain experience and prove himself at a senior level.
The club has had a mixed start to the season and sits in ninth place after four matchdays. They have recorded two wins, one draw, and one defeat. In total, Antwerp has scored ten goals and conceded nine, resulting in a goal difference of plus one. The next fixture is an important away match against Standard Liege, who are sixth in the table. That game takes place on September 5, 2026. The full league schedule and standings can be found on our standings and fixtures pages. The new midfielders could potentially make their debuts in that match.
