Thomas Vermaelen shone at Arsenal but would he really get his career back on track at Aston Villa?
Reports in Spanish paper AS (30th August, page 12) that Aston Villa have offered Thomas Vermaelen a route back into English football has eyebrows shooting skyward in the Midlands.
After all, it’s not often a player leaves Barcelona for a club who finished in mid-table in the English Championship the season before.
And, after Villa already invested heavily in bringing John Terry to the club, would they really be willing to part with another huge chunk of wages to land another ageing centre-back whose best years are well behind him?
Vermaelen was a fine defender in his day, one of the Premier League’s best during his Arsenal heyday. However, not much has gone right since he swapped The Emirates for the Camp Nou three years ago.
He made just seven La Liga starts in that time for Barcelona with a relentless series of injuries taking their toll. A loan move at Roma last season, designed to kick-start a stalling career, merely provided more of the same.
Therefore, you can file the Vermaelen to Villa rumour neatly in the ‘unlikely’ draw. Though the Belgium international has been linked with a move to the Premier League this summer, the fact he remains a Barca player with a day to go before the transfer window suggests he could find himself stuck in limbo.
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