Manchester United’s hopes of retaining the Carabao Cup this season are over after they were knocked out of the competition by Newcastle United on Wednesday.
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Eddie Howe’s side ran out 3-0 winners over the Red Devils – who beat them in last season’s final – at Old Trafford, setting up a quarter-final tie against Chelsea.
Erik ten Hag’s side, however, have now lost eight of their 15 matches so far this season, piling pressure on the former Ajax boss.
In a bid to turn his side’s fortunes around, the Dutchman could delve into the transfer window, and it appears that United are set to battle it out with rivals Liverpool for one of their top targets.
As per Mundo Deportivo via Sport Witness, both Premier League sides are interested in Royal Antwerp midfielder Arthur Vermeeren.
The 18-year-old has been in fine form recently, starting all of Antwerp’s games so far this season.
The report claims that Spanish side Barcelona have asked about the availability of the midfielder, but were told that Premier League clubs are ‘already prepared’ to bid for the player.
Barcelona’s sporting director, Xavi Hernandez, is believed to have met with his counterpart, Marc Overmars, prior to Barcelona’s recent game against Antwerp in the Champions League.
Despite expressing an interest, the Belgian club are said to have made Barcelona aware that both Liverpool and United are very interested.
Vermeeren is a product of Antwerp’s youth academy and broke into the first team last year.
He has now made a total of 53 appearances for the club across all competitions, scoring twice and providing seven assists.
It is claimed that the Belgian club will look to receive around £20 million for the youngster, whose current contract runs until 2026
