Why re-signing Ron Vlaar isn't a bad idea

Hear me out, Villa fans. Hear me out. I know that most of you probably clicked on this article to see what kind of ridiculous reason I may pose, having already made your mind up that I am wrong, but hear me out. As we all already know, it appears that Ron Vlaar is willing to go anywhere other than Villa this summer. Having been linked to other English teams, Italian teams, and Dutch teams, but so far without a landing spot, it is clear that Vlaar is running into some difficulty finding a club willing to meet his wage demands following his long injury history. This is where Villa's opportunity lies.

In American sports, there is a strategy occasionally employed by athletes, called "betting on yourself". The core idea is that coming off a disappointing season, you are offered a long term, binding deal which is well below what you believe you are worth. Because of this, you search elsewhere, and you accept a one year deal, for much less money, to prove that you are indeed worth what you wanted the previous summer, and the next summer, you are offered as much, or more than you desired previously.

So, let's say that Vlaar was on £25k a week on his previous Villa deal, and he is searching the continent for £40k a week, but not finding any suitors. In addition, it was just announced that he is most likely out until the new year with his most recent surgery. Because of his previous performances for the club, Villa offer Vlaar a one year, £20k per week deal, which he accepts. If Vlaar is capable of coming back better than he was before (which he said he is), he returns when the new year comes, he becomes Villa's best centre back again, provides much needed fresh legs at a perilous time of the season, and maybe helps Villa scratch out a couple more wins. Not a bad gamble for only £20k a week from Villa's point of view.

But this is why Vlaar would accept the deal: Because of these performances, the clubs that are now hesitant to give him the deal he wants this summer are lining up next summer, ready to start a bidding war for the big Dutchman. Maybe he finally gets his Champions League move, or maybe he goes somewhere else for a ridiculous amount of money, who knows. But the important thing is that his one year deal worked out as a win-win for both Villa and Vlaar.

Obviously, this idea all hinges upon his ability to recover, perform, and avoid further injury, something that may seem unlikely given Vlaar's track record. But, for a relatively small contract, it isn't the worst idea in the world, especiallly considering the calibre of centre back which, at points, we have seen him be.

What do you think? Let us know!