West Ham reportedly have an offer on the table to sign Inter Milan midfielder Matias Vecino during the January transfer window, according to Calciomercato.
The Italian outlet claimed that the Hammers are joined by fellow Premier League club Aston Villa in making their interest in the 29-year-old concrete.
The 41-cap Uruguay international is yet to feature this season in Milan under former Chelsea manager Antonio Conte, leading to speculation that he could be on his way out of the Serie A club in the mid-season window.
After completing a £21.5m switch from Fiorentina in 2017 to Inter, things haven’t gone to plan for Vecino after an operation to fix a long-standing knee problem sidelined the midfielder for a lengthy period this year.
Capable of influence in both an attacking and defensive sense, the former Empoli man has 17 goal involvements in 96 appearances for Inter, including three in eight Champions League outings alongside an impressive tackling success percentage in his Serie A career.
David Moyes could offer the Uruguayan a way out of Milan in a bid to offer him regular first team football and strengthen the Irons’ midfield ranks.
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Without competitive action in more than six months and having not kicked a ball in anger since a major operation, the £14.4m-valued Vecino represents a huge risk for anyone willing to part with a large chunk of their transfer budget.
Undoubtedly, the South American at his best would be the perfect fit for the West Ham squad with his capabilities at both ends of the pitch, but to shell out a substantial fee with such little recent action would be shortsighted.
With club legend Mark Noble’s influence very much on the wane, Moyes needs to strengthen his central midfield options, and Vecino would provide additional proven quality.
If the San Siro hierarchy were willing to sanction a temporary departure, a loan with a view to making the move permanent in the summer would be preferential for the Irons.
