Inter Milan could include Matias Vecino in a transfer deal for Everton's Lucas Digne, according to Sport Mediaset.
The lowdown
Digne's future looks to lie away from Goodison Park after he apparently had a row with manager Rafael Benitez.
Everton have entered the market to bring in another left-back in the form of Vitaliy Mykolenko, and Nathan Patterson is set to sign from Rangers on the opposite flank - he is expected to complete a move to Goodison Park in the coming days and has landed in Merseyside for his Toffees medical.
Like Digne, Vecino may also be considering his next step, as his £75,000-per-week Inter contract enters its last six months. The £4.5m-rated midfielder has only started one Serie A match this season, although he has been subbed on 11 times in the league.
The latest
According to Sport Mediaset, Inter's top target for the wing-back role is Eintracht Frankfurt's Filip Kostic, but the Bundesliga club won't listen to offers until the summer, so the Nerazzurri have started looking at Digne.
The reigning Serie A champions would either pursue a straight loan or a loan with an option to buy, and to sweeten the deal, they could offer to send Vecino, a player who Rafael Benitez 'likes', the other way.
However, the report stresses that the Uruguay midfielder is 'attracting the attention of many teams', which may also factor into Inter's thinking.
The verdict
Benitez reportedly wants another midfielder in January, but is 30-year-old Vecino a good option?
Relative to positional peers in the top five leagues, he records a high volume of shots, goals and shot-creating actions. According to FBRef, his profile is similar to that of Jude Bellingham.
However, his injury record is a concern. He was limited to just three starts in Inter's 2020/21 title-winning campaign, largely as a result of a knee issue.
Everton have an enviable bargaining chip in Digne - a £27m-rated asset - so this particular swap deal would perhaps be an unnecessary risk.
In other news, Everton are also interested in this Premier League ace