Everton reportedly face race against time to seal deal for midfield target

Everton face a race against time if they are to sign Inter midfielder Matias Vecino this month, according to reports in Italy.

The Toffees have been linked with a move for the 30-year-old for some time, with CalcioMercato claiming in late December that the Blues were in a strong position to sign the player this month.

Since then, however, circumstances look to have changed somewhat, and it would appear that the increasing likelihood is that Vecino will be staying in Italy until the end of the season at least.

CalcioMercato now report that Inter will block Vecino’s exit if they agree to allow fellow midfielder Stefano Sensi leave first - and with the 26-year-old seemingly on his way to Sampdoria for the rest of the campaign, it would appear that Everton will either have to move quickly to seal a deal for their target first, or hope that his teammate’s Serie A loan falls through.

Who is Matias Vecino?

Vecino has enjoyed a long and successful career in Italy since signing for Fiorentina from Uruguayan outfit Nacional back in 2013.

The central midfielder spent loan spells with Cagliari and Empoli during his time in Florence, and did enough to earn a £21.6 million move to Inter back in 2017.

From there, he has accrued 120 appearances for the Milan giants, but just 16 of those outings have come this season, and with his contract set to expire in the summer he is being widely linked with an exit in the near future.

On an international level, Vecino has established himself as one of Uruguay’s most experienced old heads, registering 56 senior caps for his country.

How likely are Everton to seal the deal?

At the moment, the odds look to be stacked against the Toffees.

While Vecino is expected to leave Inter sooner rather than later, CalcioMercato report that his exit will not be sanctioned if Stefano Sensi leaves the club first.

Given that the wheels are said to be in motion on a potential loan move that would take Sensi to Sampdoria, as per Fabrizio Romano, it would likely take a considerable turn of events for Everton to land their man.

There are other factors working against the Toffees too.

For one thing, Corriere dello Sport claim that Vecino is more than happy to see out the remainder of his contract in Milan before reassessing his options in the summer, while Gazzetta dello Sport claim that the South American has already rejected a move to Goodison Park this month due to a lack of European football on offer.