Speaking to GiveMeSport, journalist Paul Brown of The Daily Star has made a transfer claim involving Inter Milan defender Stefan de Vrij and Tottenham Hotspur.

The Lowdown: Spurs eye defensive overhaul?

Coming after the signings of Emerson Royal and Cristian Romero in the summer, it appears that Spurs chief Fabio Paratici isn't quite done there in terms of defensive reinforcements.

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Since Antonio Conte's arrival at the north London club, they have also been tipped to add more centre-backs to their roster, including marquee Serie A names like De Vrij, Juventus sensation Matthijs de Ligt and AC Milan captain Alessio Romagnoli (Calciomercato.it).

This could be ever more important given Romero's recent hamstring injury, with Conte himself believing that it is 'serious'.

In an update, Brown has now shared what he knows on Tottenham's pursuit of De Vrij in particular.

The Latest: Brown makes de Vrij claim...

Speaking to GiveMeSport, the reporter said that Conte wants a ball-playing centre half and Spurs like the Nerazzurri mainstay the most out of the aforementioned targets.

He explained: "I think the main role Antonio Conte wants is a centre back who can play it out. De Vrij seems to be the one Spurs like most for that role."

The Verdict: Best target?

It appears to be a toss-up between De Ligt and De Vrij for Spurs' most prestigious centre-back target, with the former even being likened to Cristiano Ronaldo for his work ethic.

Meanwhile, the latter has been called a 'worldbeater' by former Leeds striker Noel Whelan after he played a crucial role in guiding Inter to the 2020/21 Serie A title.

De Vrij could be a more realistic purchase for Spurs going by price tag considering that he is rated at around £40m, whilst De Ligt could cost significantly more going by his £63m Transfermarkt valuation.

The only caveat may be the Inter defender's age, however, with the 29-year-old hardly possessing a long shelf life when compared to De Ligt, who is seven years his junior.

In other news: 'Coming from Tottenham'...Journalist makes exciting transfer claim with big offer tabled, find out more here.