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Tottenham Hotspur: Journalist drops ‘important’ Stefan De Vrij update on Italian TV
Italian journalist Stefano Benzi has now shared a big live TV update on Tottenham Hotspur‘s pursuit of Inter Milan defender Stefan de Vrij, claiming Spurs are ready to make a significant bid.
The Lowdown: Spurs eye move…
The Netherlands international will be no stranger to Spurs supporters given he has been linked for a pretty long time.
Even before the new year, the Lilywhites held an intense interest in signing de Vrij for manager Antonio Conte – coming after the central defender’s pivotal role during Inter’s 2020/2021 title-winning campaign.
Football Insider, sharing news in late 2021, even revealed that the 30-year-old told friends he was interested in a January move to Spurs – unsurprising given Conte’s presence at N17.
De Vrij’s current deal at the San Siro expires in 2023, potentially giving transfer chief Fabio Paratici a boost for potential negotiations given Inter may need to contemplate selling while they still can.
The Latest: Benzi shares live TV update…
According to journalist Benzi, speaking live on Calciomercato.it TV, the Lilywhites are now ‘willing’ to table an ‘important figure’ of €40 million (£34m) for the Dutchman.
He explained: “There is a very serious interest on the part of both City and Tottenham for de Vrij and they are willing to spend an important figure: 40 million euros net.”
The Verdict: Right man?
There is little doubt Conte wants a new defender with reliable reports from The Telegraph and The Athletic both backing Tottenham’s intent to land a left-footed centre-back.
De Vrij for £34m arguably comes as a mixed bag, mainly due to his fairly seasoned age – a factor which could well mean he is hardly a long-term solution for Spurs at the back.
That being said, for around two to three seasons of Premier League action, Conte and Paratici could do far worse.
According to WhoScored, under Conte’s rule at Inter last year, he made more clearances per 90 than any member of the 52-year-old’s Scudetto-winners – all whilst proving to be a virtually untouchable member of the starting eleven.
He played the sixth-most Serie A minutes out of any Nerazzurri player over 2020/2021, leading to members of the press describing de Vrij as a ‘world-beater’ (ex-Leeds striker Noel Whelan, Football Insider).
Taking this into account, if Spurs can somehow whittle the £34m down a notch, he could be a shrewd summer capture.
In other news: Source: Tottenham edge closer to ‘top signing’, he really wants to join Conte! Find out more here.
