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Thierry Henry should persuade Thomas Vermaelen to fill the John Terry void

Mathew Nash

Tue 24 July 2018 18:00, UK

Aston Villa may be about to pull off one of the biggest surprises of the summer. After a takeover deal finally came to fruition the club is, it seems, set to make a managerial change. As , Steve Bruce is to be pushed out and replaced by Arsenal legend Thierry Henry.

Immediately fans will start dreaming of who Aston Villa might bring to the club. Given there are now some funds to put into the squad and Henry’s extensive background some big names will be popping up.

But one that would make perfect sense for the player and Aston Villa is Thomas Vermaelen.

Currently a back-up player at Barcelona the Belgian has finally put his injury troubles behind him. At 32-years-old he is still relatively young and an exemplary defender when fit.

“A lot of players look up to him (Henry) because he is a legend in football.”

Aston Villa are in the hunt for a new central defensive leader after losing John Terry. Vermaelen could easily slot into that role. If he wants to play regular football again then Aston Villa could offer him that.

Henry would be a major help in such a deal. The Frenchman was Vermaelen’s assistant manager for Belgium at this summer’s World Cup. The pair were also team-mates during Henry’s return loan spell in 2011-12 at The Emirates. Henry, a former Barcelona player, would also be able to negotiate with the Catalan club with ease.

If Henry does become Aston Villa boss, then bringing in the Belgian veteran would be an excellent piece of business.