Inter Milan's Stefan de Vrij in action with Sampdoria's Sam Lammers
Newcastle United could reportedly make their interest in Inter Milan central defender Stefan de Vrij more concrete ‘in the coming days’.
The Lowdown: Contract expiring
De Vrij’s contract expires in the summer, meaning that he can leave as a free agent at the end of the season.
He has recently confirmed that he is ‘in talks‘ with Inter over a renewal, but a move away has not yet been ruled out.
The Latest: Newcastle interest
As per Italian news outlet FC Inter News, Villarreal have already made an offer to De Vrij to join them for next term, while a number of other clubs hold an interest.
Newcastle are one of them, along with Sevilla, Atletico Madrid, Leicester City and Nice, and could firm up their interest ‘in the coming days’.
The Verdict: No-brainer
It is a no-brainer for the St. James’ Park outfit to sign someone of De Vrij’s quality and experience on a free transfer.
Once hailed as a ‘monster’ who possesses ‘excellent technique’ by his former team-mate at Lazio Mauricio, the six-foot-three colossus is a complete centre-back, ranking in the top 19% for a number of key metrics in Europe’s top five leagues over the past year.
He has amassed 186 appearances for Inter at the highest level, including playing in the UEFA Champions League, while he has also been capped no fewer than 59 times by the Netherlands.
Nonetheless, De Vrij could form a formidable new partnership for the Magpies alongside fellow countryman Sven Botman.
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