According to Birmingham Live, Aston Villa have been linked with a January move for Inter Milan’s Matias Vecino. The Italian is currently recovering from a long-term injury but it is being reported that he has offers from Premier League clubs such as Villa and West Ham.
The 29-year-old Vecino started out at Uruguayan club Central Espanol. Having made 32 first-team appearances for his boyhood club, the midfielder joined Club Nacional in 2011 and spent two years at the club, before moving to Italy, joining Fiorentina in January 2013.
During his time at the club, Vecino had loan spells out at Cagliari and Empoli. After 85 appearances for Fiorentina, the Uruguayan left for Inter Milan in 2017. To date, he has featured 96 times for the Nerazzurri scoring 11 goals and setting up 6.
Vecino is an experienced member of the Uruguayan national team with 41 appearances and 3 goals. He has featured for them in the 2018 FIFA World Cup too.
It might be hard to believe that a side which escaped relegation by a point a few months ago is now high up the table above some of the traditional heavyweights. Yet, Aston Villa have done that in style this season as they navigate through one of their better seasons in the Premier League.
Their squad has performed well over the season as the likes of Jack Grealish, John McGinn and Douglas Luiz have reached new levels while new signings like Ollie Watkins and Ross Barkley have settled in well. However, a gruelling second half of the season awaits where they will also have to deal with the FA Cup. Adding some players could be a huge help in that scenario.
Hence, bringing in someone of Vecino’s quality would be a wise move by the Villans. The 29-year-old has loads of top-level experience, having played in the Serie A for almost his entire career. In addition, the midfielder has been a constant fixture in the Uruguayan national team for a number of years now.
Someone who can sit in and play as a No.6 or operate in a more box-to-box role, Vecino would add more options at Smith’s disposal. In addition, he would also be able to contribute with goals from midfield, which would make him a valuable addition to the squad. In that regard, Vecino would be a viable option for Villa. The Uruguayan is vastly experienced and has been in good form for Inter Milan. His arrival would boost the quality of the squad, while also adding more depth.