Why signing Domagoj Vida would be a good January coup for Aston Villa
Reports from Turkish-Football (h/t BirminghamLive) suggest that Aston Villa have contacted Besiktas over a potential move for Domagoj Vida.
Vida, 30, came through the ranks of his home town club Osijek’s youth ranks. He then joined Dynamo Kyiv after short stints with Bayer Leverkusen and Dinamo Zagreb in 2013.
The veteran made 160 appearances for the Ukrainian outfit before leaving to Turkey with Besiktas in 2018.
The centre-back has been in fine form Abdullah Avci’s side this season and has played in 13 Super Lig games so far. He has also scored twice for them and has featured in all of Besiktas’ Europa fixtures in the ongoing campaign.
He was impressive for the Croatian national team in the last World Cup, where they reached the finals of that edition. Vida made an impact in their quarter-final clash against Russia when he scored the equalizer in the extra-time and eventually, Croatia progressed from there.
Meanwhile, Aston Villa have shown interest in the towering centre-back and are said to be in talks over a move for him in the winter, despite Besiktas rejecting offers for Vida in the previous two transfer windows, according to the report.
Dean Smith’s men are currently in danger of relegation and seem to be having a rough time after being promoted to the top-flight division for this campaign. Villa have lacked goals in their pursuit to secure a Premier League spot for the next season.
Apart from a lack of goals, they have been vulnerable at the back without a proper show in the defence line. The Villans have already conceded 30 goals in 17 league games and there seem to be no established centre-backs in their ranks, except for Tyron Mings.
They could face a tough time with Mings picking up a hamstring injury recently. Bjorn Engels and Ezri Konsa have not cemented their place in Dean Smith’s squad as the manager has been shuffling between the two very often.
Villa’s defensive crisis has been highlighted this season and if they are to avoid any more damage, Smith has to ponder upon the chances of bringing in reinforcement to shore up their defence.
And Croatian centre-back Domagoj would be a useful addition to Villa Park. His skills are capable of making a solid impact for the Premier League strugglers.
Vida has played at the highest level for his nation and his recent performances for Besiktas have also been impressive. At Villa, he would be effective alongside Tyrone Mings, upon his return from injury. And in the absence of Mings, Vida can lead the defensive unit with his experience.
The 30-year-old may not be a long-term prospect for the Villans but in their present situation, he has the ability to continue at his best for some years.
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Verdict
Therefore, Dean Smith must be ready to grab the talented centre-back when the opportunity arrives in January.
Vida, who was also attracting interest from Wolves, would offer a lot defensively. Thus, Villa should take a chance and lure him to England.