As per Italian news outlet La Gazzetta dello Sport, it appears  that Tottenham manager Antonio Conte has been handed a transfer boost as news emerges on Inter Milan defender Stefan de Vrij.

The Lowdown: Conte personally targeting De Vrij...

Reports out of Europe have recently suggested that Spurs' head coach is personally targeting his former defender, who was a mainstay in the Italian's 2020/21 title-winning Inter side. Indeed, InterLive.it claimed early last month that Conte has personally requested the signing of De Vrij at Tottenham as he seeks to bolster his squad ahead of a first full campaign in north London in 2022/23.

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Respected English sources have also backed Conte's interest in signing the Netherlands international over these last few months, with a report from The Guardian stating that the 52-year-old wants to be 'reunited' with De Vrij.

Now. according to La Gazzetta, it appears that the Spurs head coach has been given a timely boost in his transfer chase.

The Latest: La Gazzetta share De Vrij transfer boost...

The Italian newspaper, as also translated and shared by Sport Witness, now say that Inter 'can consider partially renewing the department by sacrificing the former Lazio player’ this summer.

It is believed that De Vrij is 'no longer essential' for Simone Inzaghi's side, coming after team-mate Milan Skriniar started in the 30-year-old's usual position and nullified Dusan Vlahovic during Inter's 1-0 win over Juventus on Sunday.

La Gazzetta added that the San Siro club can now start to 'evaluate' green-lighting a summer transfer for the €25m (£21m) man, going on to claim that he seems 'expendable' and a 'good candidate' to be sold.

The Verdict: Take advantage...

At just £21m, De Vrij could be a brilliant short-term snip to strengthen Conte's defence at Spurs, especially if they qualify for the Champions League next season.

According to WhoScored, he played the sixth-most minutes out of any Inter player over 2020/21, with Conte heavily favouring De Vrij in his starting XI. Over those appearances, the Dutchman made more clearances on average than any of his team-mates in Serie A (2.9) whilst also standing out with the second-most interceptions (1.3).

The £116,000-per-week ace also wouldn't break Tottenham's wage structure and there may be wiggle room to negotiate an even lower transfer fee given that his Inter deal expires in 2023.

Lauded as a would-be 'unbelievable signing' at Spurs by journalist Dean Jones, it seems clear that the Dutchman would be a serious coup for Conte and Spurs.

In other news: Tottenham eye agreement 'in the coming weeks' as they table offer for exciting midfielder, find out more here.