Aston Villa have reportedly entered the race to sign Uruguayan midfielder Matias Vecino on a free transfer next summer.
According to Fichajes, Aston Villa are among the three sides pursuing Inter Milan midfielder Matias Vecino. The Uruguayan international is set to run down his contract, expiring at the end of the season, and will be a free agent next summer. The report has also mentions Napoli and Borussia Dortmund as possible destinations for the player.
The 30-year-old signed for Inter Milan in 2017 following a successful stint at fellow Serie A outfit Fiorentina. Vecino quickly established himself as a vital cog in Inter’s midfield and was fairly impressive in his initial years at the club. However, a combination of lengthy injuries and a drop in form meant his game-time vastly reduced in the last couple of seasons.
Even in the ongoing campaign, he has struggled for regular minutes and has fallen behind Marcelo Brozovic, Nicolo Barella, Hakan Calhanoglu and Stefano Sensi in the pecking order at the San Siro. Vecino has featured in just under 300 minutes of footballing action across all competitions this term, bagging a solitary goal. To put it into context, even fringe-star Arturo Vidal has more minutes than him.
The Uruguayan international has recently made remarks suggesting that he is frustrated with so little playing time. As a result, the player is expected to move on from San Siro in the upcoming transfer windows with a host of clubs, including Napoli, Borussia Dortmund and Aston Villa interested.
Dortmund could be looking to sign Vecino as a replacement to Belgian star Axel Witsel, who, similar to Vecino, could be a free agent by the end of the season while Napoli would provide the player with an option to stay in Serie A. However, an outlandish alternative could be a switch to Premier League with Aston Villa.
Interestingly, this is not for the first time that Vecino has been linked with a move to Midlands outfit. He has been on their radar in the past transfer windows, but a move never materialized for one reason or the other. With Steven Gerrard as their new manager, the Villans have entered a new phase and are ready to back the former Rangers boss in the transfer market as they aim for a top-half finish in the Premier League.
Vecino is an energetic box-to-box midfielder who works best on the right side of a three-man midfield. Gerrard has preferred a 4-3-3 system at Rangers and could persist with it at Villa, so Vecino could slot in very well. A trio of Douglas Luiz, John McGinn and Vecino could form a robust engine room.
The 56-time capped Uruguayan international would arrive with Champions League and international pedigree. However, Villa are already well-stocked in the midfield department and adding another player would hinder the development of promising prospects in Jacob Ramsey and Carney Chukwuemeka. Hence, they should perhaps steer clear of Vecino and focus on strengthening other areas on the pitch.
