According to a recent report by HBVL (via Birmingham Mail), both Wolverhampton Wanderers and Arsenal will miss out on Belgian centre-back Zinho Vanheusden who has decided to make a permanent transfer to Standard Liege after his fruitful loan spell at Belgium from the previous campaign.
The same source has also revealed that the youngster has become the most expensive player signed by a Belgian club after Inter received a €12.6m offer for him this summer.
Zinho Vanheusden’s Impressive Loan Spell With Standard Liege
The 19-year-old enjoyed a productive loan spell away at Standard Liege last season as he put in some commanding displays at the heart of Michel Preud’homme’s backline. Vanheusden featured in a total of 30 appearances for the Jupiler Pro League giants last term, scoring two goals while grabbing one assist in all competitions. His form in the UEFA Europa League was quite impressive which has raised his stock in European football.
The Belgian prospect made an average of 2.3 interceptions and 3.0 clearances per match in the Europa League last season (stats via whoscored). He has the potential to become a premier defender in Europe as long as he is willing to work hard on the field.
What Does The Belgian Defender Offer On The Pitch?
Vanheusden has decent pace and is a good defender off the ball. He can make well-timed challenges to intercept possession for his team but is not good at playing the ball out from the back yet. He would have been a good fit for Wolves as they look to push themselves for one of the coveted European spots in the Premier League next season.
Missing Out On Vanheusden: Big Blow Or Blessing In Disguise?
Missing out on the Belgian will be a slight blow for the West Midlands outfit, but Nuno Espirito Santo would be better off concentrating on some of his other targets rather than be frustrated about how he missed out on recruiting Vanheusden in this off-season.
Wolves should focus on bringing in a proven defender as Vanheusden would have been a risk as he has not justified his worth at the highest level. Thus, it could be a blessing in disguise for both Wolves and Arsenal as they continue their search for quality recruits this summer.
