Royal Antwerp FC has concluded the transfer window with the return of fan favourite Arthur Vermeeren. The club also presented French midfielder Bahmed Deuff, shortly after a 1-0 league defeat to Standard Liège at Sclessin.
Contact between the club and the entourage of the 21-year-old midfielder remained warm. CEO Sven Jaecques described the deal as "the cherry on the cake" of a summer in which Antwerp was already satisfied. The club kept the possibility of a return alive via sporting director Marc Overmars and head of scouting Joachim Vercaigne.
"We kept waiting until the plan that was a priority for Arthur didn't materialise after all," Jaecques explained. The CEO emphasised that Vermeeren himself indicated Antwerp was the best place to guarantee playing time. The return of the youth product is not seen as a stunt for the fans, but for his qualities on the pitch. Antwerp currently sits ninth in the Jupiler Pro League with seven points from four matches.
The official arrival of Bahmed Deuff at the Bosuil was announced this week. The 20-year-old midfielder joins from FC Nantes and is expected to strengthen the midfield with his 1.94-meter frame and physical qualities. The transfer materialised after a potential deal for Nemanja Gudelj fell through.
Deuff came through the ranks at Nantes and broke into the first team last season. He played eleven matches in Ligue 1. The Mauritanian player is seen as a versatile addition who can recover balls. His arrival, alongside that of Vermeeren and the earlier return of Mauricio Benitez, provides a significant quality boost to Antwerp's midfield. The club has scored ten goals and conceded nine so far this season.
Standard Liège won 1-0 at Sclessin thanks to a late penalty from Dennis Eckert Ayensa. The decisive spot-kick followed a foul on Adnane Abid, after VAR intervention. Standard continued its strong start to the season with this win and now has eleven points from five games.
Antwerp struggled to play their football and create danger. Antwerp coach Marvin Compper stated after the match that Standard deserved the victory. "It's a step in the right direction for us after the eight goals in recent weeks," he said. Standard coach Vincent Euvrard said his team dominated the entire match. Antwerp now trails league leaders Charleroi by five points in the standings.
Antwerp's next assignment is an away match against Club Brugge KV on September 13. Club Brugge is currently second in the table. The full league standings can be found on our standings page, and the current squad includes the new signings.
