Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly in talks to sign Inter Milan defender Stefan De Vrij this summer. According to Rudy Galetti, De Vrij’s agent Mino Raiola is the catalyst behind the deal.
Tottenham are in desperate need of reinforcements at the back. Veteran centre-back Toby Alderweireld left the club in the summer to join Qatari side Al-Duhail. The futures of Davinson Sanchez and Joe Rodon are up in the air, potentially leaving Spurs woefully short on personnel at the back in the coming weeks.
Stefan De Vrij has been a stalwart for the Inter backline since signing from Lazio three years ago. The Netherlands international has made 124 appearances for Inter in all competitions. Last season, he formed a formidable partnership with Milan Skriniar and Alessandro Bastoni at the heart of the defence, leading Inter to the Serie A title.
The 29-year-old, who has two years left on his current contract, will reportedly be available for around £50m.
Is Stefan De Vrij the ideal replacement for Alderweireld?
Toby Alderweireld’s departure is a massive blow for Spurs; the Belgian defender had become a cornerstone of their recent success. He made 236 appearances in all competitions and was an integral part of the side that reached the Champions League final in 2019.
Tottenham need an experienced defender to fill the void left by his departure and De Vrij certainly fits the bill.
The London club had the worst defensive record among the traditional ‘Big Six’ teams in the Premier League last season; they conceded a whopping 45 goals, which was one of the main reasons for their seventh-place finish. De Vrij’s arrival will certainly alleviate some of their defensive woes.
The 29-year-old has excellent game-reading ability and positional awareness. He is a good ball-winner and also strong in the air. He won two aerial duels per game last season, and also registered 2.9 clearances, 1.3 interceptions, and 0.9 tackles per game.
He is extremely disciplined and does not often dive into tackles or give away cheap fouls; last season, he committed just 0.6 fouls per game and picked up two yellow cards.
The Netherlands international is also comfortable playing out from the back and is rarely pressurized into making errors. Last season, De Vrij averaged 61.3 passes per game with a completion rate of over 93%.
He will bring plenty of international experience to the Spurs defence, having been capped by the Netherlands 49 times. Some might put forth arguments pertaining to the age of the defender but Spurs desperately need some leadership in that backline and while he might not be around for as long as someone like Alderweireld, the Lilywhites will certainly get the best version of the player right now.
With Spurs looking to shore up their backline ahead of a top-four push next season, a move for Stefan De Vrij is a no-brainer. The north London club have also been linked with the Dutch international’s Inter teammate Milan Skriniar, as well as Atalanta’s Cristian Romero and we won’t be surprised if there are multiple incomings in that area of the pitch for the north London side.