Report: Manchester United's Matias Vecino Loan Offer Rejected by Inter Milan

Inter Milan have reportedly rejected a loan approach from Manchester United for midfielder Matias Vecino.

According to Sky in Italy (h/t Sky Sports), the Red Devils were interested in the 28-year-old as a short-term replacement for Scott McTominay and Paul Pogba. The two sides could not agree on the conditions of the deal, however.

Rumours of a swap deal for Napoli's Allan in exchange for Vecino have swirled for some time now, and sports writer Kaustubh Pandey believes that stood in the way of a transfer to Old Trafford. He also thinks it's an excellent deal for the Nerazzurri:

Per Calciomercato (h/t MailOnline's Kieran Jackson), Everton were looking at the Uruguayan earlier in the January transfer window.

The former Fiorentina midfielder has made 10 starts in Serie A this season, seeing more playing time than expected due to injuries to the likes of Nicolo Barella and Stefano Sensi. Both missed time in December.

Vecino is a versatile central midfielder who can play in a more advanced role when called on. He's at his best when he sees lots of the ball in a deeper position, spreading passes to the wing.

He's scored one goal in Serie A this season, in the win over Hellas Verona:

He also netted against Borussia Dortmund in the UEFA Champions League.

The injuries to Barella and Sensi thrust Vecino into a bigger role than anticipated—and also highlighted the depth issues Inter have. Manager Antonio Conte openly complained his squad didn't run deep enough, and it's a problem the Serie A title hopefuls are expected to address in January.

They already added Ashley Young and have been linked with Tottenham Hotspur's Christian Eriksen and Chelsea's Olivier Giroud, per DAZN (h/t Football Italia). Victor Moses also appears to be on his way, per transfer guru Fabrizio Romano:

Given their worries about depth, it would make little sense to loan Vecino, a player who has already shown he can be an effective replacement this season.

A swap deal for Allan makes more sense, ensuring Inter get a solid player who can contribute during the stretch run without spending too much money.