Chelsea are reportedly set to target Inter Milan midfielder Matias Vecino as the Premier League club looks to add to their midfield options.
According to TransferMarketWeb, Chelsea are set to pursue a new quantity in their search for midfield additions before the start of the 2018-19 season. Uruguayan international Matias Vecino is on the Blues radar after a brilliant World Cup so far. The Inter Milan midfielder is one of the latest names to be linked to Chelsea.
Matias Vecino has been quietly making a name for himself in the Serie A. After moving to Inter Milan from Fiorentina in the summer of 2017, Vecino had a bright debut campaign for the Nerazzurri. The Uruguayan was one of the first names on the team sheet.
Vecino seems to have carried on his form to Russia. Uruguay have reached the quarter-finals of the 2018 FIFA World Cup after beating Portugal and are set to face France for a spot in the semi-finals. The 26-year-old has been a rock in midfield for Uruguay, helping to nullify the threat posed by the opposition’s buildups.
Vecino’s industry and defensive guile is what seems to be attracting the attention of Chelsea. The Blues have been going through a tough phase. The 2017-18 season saw N’Golo Kante fail to live up to the 2016-17 form as Nemanja Matic departed for Manchester United. Chelsea sought to reunite Kante with Danny Drinkwater in order to bring out the best in him.
But, Kante failed to show the same kind of chemistry he had with the former Manchester United man at Leicester City. Ross Barkley arrived in January but failed to get much appearances under his belt to even come close to securing a regular spot within the Chelsea first-team setup.
As the uncertainty surrounding Antonio Conte’s managerial future continues at Chelsea, the club is looking to get on with their transfer activity. The Londoners finished outside the top four in the 2017-18 season and have seen their rivals strengthen themselves.
Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United have all confirmed deals to beef up their respective squads. Chelsea would not want to lag behind, especially after Eden Hazard’s statement that his future at the club could depend on their transfer activity before the start of the season.
Matias Vecino could fill the void that Matic has left within the Chelsea midfield, something the likes of Tiemoue Bakayoko and Danny Drinkwater have failed to achieve.
Vecino has a deal till 2021 with Inter Milan. And reports say the Nerazzurri are looking to extend his contract as a reward for his brilliant World Cup display so far.
Chelsea’s inability to offer Champions League football could also pose a problem in their mission to convince Vecino to leave Inter Milan. This looks like a move that is unlikely to happen. Although, it is naive to rule out any move that involves a Premier League side, as has been seen in the recent couple of seasons.