Tottenham Hotspur is interested in signing Inter Milan defender Stefan de Vrij, who is 29 years old, with manager Antonio Conte keen on a reunion.
When Antonio Conte is confirmed as the next manager of Tottenham Hotspur, according to a report by Football Insider, de Virj is keen to rejoin Conte, with whom he previously worked at Chelsea. The 29-year-old Inter Milan defender is being monitored for a possible transfer during the January transfer window.
After starting his career at Lazio and continuing there for four years before joining Inter Milan in the summer of 2018, Stefan de Vrij has established himself as a mainstay of Serie A football for over eight years. With the Nerazzurri, the Dutch international has seen his performances soar to new heights, contributing significantly to their Serie A title success the season before.
So far in his career, de Vrij has made 137 appearances for Inter, scoring eight goals and providing six assists in the process as well. His most productive period at San Siro was while under the guidance of Antonio Conte.
It was the Italian who guided the team to the aforementioned Serie A championship last season before exiting the club earlier this year. Now, with Tottenham Hotspur on the verge of reconciling with the 29-year-old, Conte is eager to do so.
De Vrij is one of the players on Conte’s wishlist
The selection of Antonio Conte as the next manager of the north London giants has been officially announced. With a list of potential signings for the January transfer window already being put together by the Italian tactician, the next Tottenham manager seems to be on track to start his job as soon as possible. The new manager will be granted a substantial transfer budget to spend on improving the team.
De Vrij is one of the players on Conte’s wishlist, and he is currently playing for Ajax. The interest in the Dutch defender is not new, with Tottenham Hotspur also been connected with him before Conte was appointed as manager. The desire to rejoin with the 29-year-old is natural as well, given the fact that Eric Dier and Davinson Sanchez are known to flatter to prove their worth.
In addition, Joe Rodon has not been able to make significant gains in his game, leaving just summer signing Cristian Romero and Japhet Tanganga as fairly trustworthy operators in the defensive midfield position. With that in mind, Tottenham’s pursuit of a centre-back becomes vital. The club has been associated with players like James Tarkowski, with de Vrij also being seen as a possible target.
De Vrij is believed to be worth approximately £40m by Inter Milan. That is according to the latest reports being circulated around.
Conte is interested in bringing him to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as soon as possible in January. What remains to be seen is whether Tottenham would be ready to give the required £40m to acquire the Dutchman, or if the Serie A giants will be able to keep hold of their star defender.
