België consortium with Alderweireld set to take over Antwerp

In België, oud‑Ajacied Toby Alderweireld and an Antwerps consortium have secured a new owner for Royal Antwerp FC, marking a pivotal shift for the club. The deal, reported by Het Nieuwsblad, places the consortium around Wouter Vandenhaute at the helm of Antwerp.

The agreement is currently a principle deal, with the final signatures expected in the next few days. Wouter Vandenhaute, who previously served as chairman of Anderlecht, leads the consortium. Antwerp confirmed the development through its official communication channels.

Negotiations had reached a critical point when the deadline for Paul Gheysens to settle payment to the British investment fund Fasanara passed. An additional two‑week extension was granted, during which CEO Sven Jaecques continued working without a contract. The extension allowed the deal to stay alive despite the missed deadline.

Sources say the consortium plans to inject millions of euros into the club to clear the outstanding debt owed to Fasanara.

Een scenario where the transaction collapsed, the shares of Royal Antwerp FC would have transferred to the British fund, leaving no alternative plan B and forcing a forced extension of the two‑week grace period.

Eventually all parties reached consensus, though the deal remains a principle agreement pending formal completion in the coming days. The Great Old, as Royal Antwerp FC is nicknamed, will benefit from the new ownership.

With ownership secured, the club can now resume sporting decisions for the upcoming season, including appointing a new trainer and targeting reinforcement in the transfer market before the competition starts.

The previous campaign saw Antwerp finish in tenth place, the lowest league position since the club’s promotion in 2017.