Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte has held talks with Inter Milan defender Stefan de Vrij regarding a move to north London in January, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Reinforcements wanted

The Premier League giants are entering the winter market on the hunt for a new centre-back to provide an upgrade on their existing options, with the 30-year-old identified as a primary target.

The Dutchman is into the final 12 months of his contract at the San Siro, and with the Nerazzurri in need of cash, he could be available on a cut-price deal in the New Year.

The Latest: Conte holds De Vrij talks

According to Football Insider, Tottenham are ‘keen on signing’ De Vrij, with Conte having already ‘spoken to the player’ about a move to Spurs in 2023.

The 6 foot 2 colossus ‘fits the bill’ of the Lilywhites, with the 53-year-old a ‘huge admirer’ of the defender after working alongside him during his time at Inter.

The Netherlands international - who is in the Oranje squad for the upcoming World Cup - has ‘been told’ that he will be offered a new contract, although a deal is yet to have been tabled, with Spurs’ recent poor form pushing the manager to make a move ‘behind the scenes’.

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The Verdict: Get it done…

De Vrij was an integral member of Conte’s squad which won the Serie A title in 2020/21, and with his former boss stating that the Dutchman was ‘like Bonucci’, this existing connection could give Spurs an advantage in the race for his signature.

Considering Leonardo Bonucci's status as a European champion and nine-time Serie A winner who has been regarded as one of the world's top defenders, that is no mean praise from Conte.

This season, De Vrij is averaging 2.9 successful aerial duels, 2.7 clearances and 2.1 interceptions per league game (WhoScored). Those returns would see him rank highly in Spurs' squad for each metric.

De Vrij also has 16 goal contributions to his name at Inter, showing that he can offer a strong presence at both ends of the pitch, making him a no-brainer of a player for Fabio Paratici to try and recruit for Tottenham.