Tottenham have reportedly been offered a chance to sign Inter Milan midfielder Matias Vecino, who is also a target for London rivals Arsenal.
According to a report from the Daily Star, Tottenham Hotspur have been offered an opportunity to sign Inter Milan and Uruguay midfielder Matias Vecino in the summer in an £18 million deal. The 28-year-old is also wanted by Spurs’ arch rivals Arsenal.
Having joined Inter Milan from fellow Serie A outfit Fiorentina in the summer of 2017, Vecino has grown into a key player for the club. However, the ongoing campaign has seen him fall behind the likes of Nicolo Barella, Stefano Sensi and Marcelo Brozovic in the pecking order at the San Siro.
So far in the 2019/20 campaign, Vecino has featured in 23 matches across all competitions, contributing with three goals and a solitary assist. While he has done well in the injury-enforced absence of Sensi, it seems like Inter are keen on offloading the Uruguayan international in the summer, in order to make room for new signings.
To that end, intermediaries have made contact with Tottenham offering them the services of the 28-year-old. Spurs had expressed an interest in signing Vecino in the January transfer window, as part of the deal that saw Christian Eriksen join Inter. However, a move failed to materialize.
Tottenham have as many as six options in the centre of the park, without including Eric Dier, who has made his intentions of moving into a centre-back role clear. However, there have been question marks over the future of club-record signing Tanguy Ndombele, who has struggled to make an impact in his debut season at the club.
And with Dier set to essay the role of a centre-back henceforth, Tottenham manager Jose Mourinho wants to add more steel to his midfield department, making Vecino a viable target for the North Londoners. However, they will have to face competition from arch rivals Arsenal, who are also keeping tabs on the Inter Milan star.
Arsenal are in the market for midfield reinforcements heading into the next season as Dani Ceballos prepares to return to Real Madrid upon the expiry of his loan spell. In addition, Lucas Torreira has also been linked with a return to Italy, whereas Matteo Guendouzi hasn’t made the best of impressions on new manager Mikel Arteta.
Thus, adding someone like Vecino, who could slot in a multitude of roles in the middle of the park, would make sense for the Gunners. And the valuation of £18 million also makes him a more realistic option for the club, in comparison to primary midfield transfer target Thomas Partey, who has a £43.5 million release clause.
Along with Tottenham and Arsenal, another London-based club, Chelsea, have also expressed an interest in signing Vecino, while Everton, too, are in the running to sign the 41-time capped Uruguayan international.
With Tottenham being offered the chance to sign Vecino first, it now remains to be seen if they decide to secure the services this summer or if he ends up joining a different club. His exit from Inter Milan, though, seems pretty much certain.
