£7M MISSED OUT ON ACE LEEDS NOW LABELLED TALENTED ENOUGH FOR BARCELONA
According to former Jupiler League goalkeeper, Leeds United wanted to recruit Mandela Keita during the summer, and now the Royal Antwerp midfielder is demonstrating that he has the skills to play for a team the stature of Barcelona.
It’s not every day that a club loses 5-0 in the Champions League and two of their players emerge with their reputations intact.
But, as Royal Antwerp found themselves on the wrong end of a Joao Felix masterclass in Barcelona, midfielders Arthur Vermeeren and Mandela Keita can look themselves in the mirror and say confidently that they gave a good account of themselves against the might and mastery of Frenkie de Jong, Gavi, and Ilkay Gundogan.
Leeds United, like Royal Antwerp’s ace Mandela Keita Vermeeren, 18, is one of Europe’s most highly regarded young players, sometimes compared to Barcelona legends Xavi and Andres Iniesta.
Keita, on the other hand, is less sought after, with teams in the Championship, rather than the Champions League, fluttering their eyelids in his way throughout the summer. According to Het Nieuwsblad, Leeds United made touch with Keita before he returned to Antwerp on a £7 million loan-to-buy deal in August.
But, if Antwerp can do better in the rest of the group stage – with easier tests against FC Porto and Shakhtar Donetsk – Keita, like Vermeeren, may be able to aim higher than England’s second tier.
A bright future awaits.
“Unfortunately, they perished like the rest. But put Vermeeren or Keita on the opposite side, and they will easily contribute, since the Barcelona squad is much superior, constantly has the ball, and puts you under a lot of strain,” Boeckx says Sporza, the Antwerp midfielder who was deprived of possession at the Camp Nou.
Barcelona F.C. vs. Royal Antwerp F.C. – Uefa Champions League
“Vermeeren or Keita performed admirably against Barcelona.” But it’s a different task for them in difficult matchups.”
With European football currently on offer to Keita in Antwerp, Leeds’ prospects of signing Keita in 2024 may be contingent on securing a fast return to the Premier League.
Meanwhile, Keita has been compared to a cross between N’Golo Kante and Paul Pogba, combining the former’s persistence with the latter’s grace.
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