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Nemanja Vidic could be key Premier League signing in January

By Rucker Haringey

Jul 26, 2014; Berkeley, CA, USA; Inter Milan defender Nemanja Vidic (15) passes to the center of the field during the first half against the Real Madrid in the first round of the Guinness International Champions Cup at California Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Stanton-USA TODAY Sports
Jul 26, 2014; Berkeley, CA, USA; Inter Milan defender Nemanja Vidic (15) passes to the center of the field during the first half against the Real Madrid in the first round of the Guinness International Champions Cup at California Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Stanton-USA TODAY Sports /
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Many Premier League teams enter the January transfer window in need of defensive help. Nemanja Vidic could be a useful addition for many clubs.

It wasn’t terribly long ago that Nemanja Vidic was one of Manchester United’s most trusted central defenders. Now he’s found himself entirely out of favor at Inter which could lead him straight back to the Premier League in January.

It’s not as if Vidic left Manchester United because he couldn’t perform in the Premier League any longer. In the 2013-14 season, his last at United, he started 23 games at centre back and posted an impressive 7.2 Whoscored.com player rating. He left the Premier League as a player who still was defending at a high level.

Unfortunately for Vidic, his time at Inter Milan hasn’t gone as planned. He played reasonably well for the Italian giants in his first season in Serie A, but he hasn’t played a single minute for the club this year. It’s safe to say that Milan would like to be rid of the Serbian centre back and he’d be happy to oblige them by moving on.

Normally, the idea of purchasing a centre back who suddenly can’t get a game in Milan at age 34 wouldn’t be of much interest to Premier League clubs. However, Vidic isn’t in a normal situation. The rationale for not playing him at Inter isn’t a result of his poor play. Instead, he is being iced out of the match day 11 because of the play of the two centre backs in front of him.

Jeison Murillo has arguably been Inter’s best player of the season and at just 23 years of age, he absolutely must be given game time ahead of Vidic.  He has been the club’s highest rated statistical player on the season and not allowing him the time to develop with playing time would be a crime.

The other spot hasn’t been quite as clear for Inter as it’s been manned by 31-year-old Miranda. He hasn’t been quite as good as Murillo, but he’s still performing at a high level. He’s no spring chicken in terms of age, but there’s still more reason to work on forming a partnership between he and Murillo than there would be to provide Vidic with significant game time.

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The point here is that it’s very possible that Vidic can still perform at a high level in the Premier League. He’s been forced out of the lineup at Inter by one excellent and one pretty good centre back alternatives. That’s why he the prospect of acquiring him, even at 34 years of age, still appeals to Premier League clubs.

Aston Villa and Everton are the two clubs mentioned with Vidic most often and they both have a clear need at centre back. The general wisdom is that he’d prefer the move to Everton and given the difference in Premier League table position for both clubs, I’d concur. Vidic could represent a solid option for either side as someone who could step right into their match day 11 and influence the rest of their season positively. He isn’t a long-term solution for either side, but if he’s brought in as a valuable stop-gap he could flourish.

Nemanja Vidic was a bright player for Manchester United just two seasons and seemingly wants to come back to the Premier League from the wilderness of Serie A. The only question left is which team will secure the veteran defenders’ services.

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