Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly looking to sign Inter Milan defender Stefan de Vrij, according to reports from Italy.
The Lowdown: Spurs’ defensive issues
This season has seen the north London club concede 29 goals in total across all competitions. With the likes of Eric Dier, Cristian Romero, Davidson Sanchez, Clement Lenglet and Ben Davies as his main defensive options, Antonio Conte has not seen his team be particularly strong at the back.
However, it appears as though he has identified a player to bring in during the upcoming January transfer window to help strengthen his side in that regard.
The Latest: Spurs keen on De Vrij
According to a recent report from Calciomercato, Conte is eager to add the defender to his ranks at Spurs in January.
The report adds that Fabio Paratici could look to offer Sanchez to Inter to try and get them to part ways with De Vrij.
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The Verdict: No-brainer for Spurs
Across the Dutchman’s 12 Serie A appearances this season, he has made more clearances (37) and interceptions (24) than any other player at the San Siro. He also has the joint-second highest number of tackles made in the defensive third of the pitch (nine), further highlighting how difficult an opponent he can be for opposition attackers.
In addition, Inter have failed to keep a clean sheet in any of their three Serie A games in which the 30-year-old - who has been called a “monster” in the past by former Lazio defender Mauricio, has not featured.
Bearing in mind how Conte’s side have only kept four clean sheets across their 15 Premier League games this season, having someone like De Vrij, who will be in action for the Netherlands during the upcoming World Cup in Qatar, could be just what the Lilywhites need to stop leaking goals.
If an opportunity to sign the £117k-per-week Inter colossus comes up in January, Spurs and Paratici should do all that they can to secure his signature, even if it means allowing Sanchez to go in the opposite direction.