According to the Mirror, Inter Milan have expressed interest in signing Manchester City centre-back Vincent Kompany next summer.
The 32-year-old is in the final year of his contract which is set to expire at the end of the season and the Cityzens are unlikely to offer the Belgian a fresh deal, particularly with the big clubs sniffing around (h/t Mirror).
A product of Anderlecht’s youth system, Kompany played for his boyhood club till 2006, following which he shifted base to the Bundesliga with Hamburger SV. Manchester City signed the Belgian in 2008 and he has proven to be one of the club’s best foreign recruits over the course of his illustrious 11-year career in the Premier League.
Kompany has accumulated a massive 338 appearances for the Cityzens across all competitions, finding the back of the net on 19 occasions.
However, the Belgian hasn’t had the best of times in his career over the past couple of years. His game time has been reduced to a large extent due to recurrent injuries. In the 2016/17 season, he made only 11 appearances in the Premier League while he featured in 17 games last season. He recovered just in time to make it to the World Cup and played a key role in Belgium’s successful campaign in Russia.
Although he hasn’t had any issues with injuries this season, Pep Guardiola has backed highly-rated youngsters Aymeric Laporte and John Stones to establish themselves as regular starters. The manager hasn’t hesitated to use the experienced Nicolas Otamendi in the heart of the defence.
As a result, he has handed starts to Kompany only on a couple of occasions. The Belgian’s involvement has been limited to only 3 games in the Premier League, one of which was a 90th-minute substitute appearance against Newcastle.
To be honest, Kompany is not the same player he was in his earlier years. Age and injuries have taken a toll on his fitness and reflexes. In the limited game time that he has received so far, the 32-year-old has looked rusty and off the pace.
In Laporte, Stones and Otamendi, City have three high-quality centre-backs and Kompany’s potential departure shouldn’t bother them much. Another centre-back, Eliaquim Mangala, has spent a lot of time on the sidelines due to injuries and is also likely to leave the club upon the expiry of his contract next summer. (h/t Mirror)
Kompany has been one of City’s key players for the past eleven years but it is now time for him to pass the baton to the likes of Stones and Laporte, both of whom are capable of developing into complete centre-backs.
At 32, there is not a lot of football left in Vincent Kompany and City should not make the mistake of offering him a new contract. In fact, a move to the Serie A should be the ideal option for Kompany.