Tottenham Hotspur are waiting to find out the availability of one of their top targets…
What’s the latest?
That’s according to Dean Jones, who gave his view on the rumours linking Inter Milan defender Stefan de Vrij to north London.
The Dutchman is entering the final six months of his £117k-per-week deal, with reports suggesting that he could leave for as little as €5m (£4m) in January.
Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Jones then claimed: “He’s a contender, we’d have to wait and see. Spurs are waiting really. Inter have offered him a new contract and at the same time, they’re being offered players of their own in case the player does leave.”
Romero masterclass
For Tottenham to dip back into Serie A and pull out another sensational defender could draw comparisons with Fabio Paratici’s transfer masterclass to unearth Cristian Romero.
The Argentine signed for Spurs in a £42m move in 2021 and has become a mainstay in the team, with his bravery and defensive work rate arguably unrivalled in the Premier League.
This is exemplified in his 6.94 average performance rating, which is propped up by his 1.4 interceptions, 2.4 tackles and 2.8 clearances per game (via Sofascore).
Italy is renowned for breeding some of football’s best defenders, and adding another could offer the defensive impetus that Conte needs in order to really enforce his title-winning philosophy on this group.
In De Vrij, the Dutchman has enjoyed a similarly impressive season for the Nerazzurri, boasting two interceptions, one tackle and three clearances per game (via Sofascore). He pairs this with an 88% pass accuracy which suggests that he could become the perfect modern-day defender in England.
The 6 foot 3 titan could probably more than cope with the physical demands placed upon him in the Premier League, with former Lazio teammate Mauricio leading the praise for the 31-year-old by saying: “Stefan is a great defender and deserves to be at a big club. He’s very tall, he’s strong and fast, he runs a lot – he’s a monster!
“He also has excellent technique and knows how to play the ball like few others, and that’s the difference between him and other players. He’s a calm defender who never gets agitated.”
Bringing in another top defender from Italy could see Conte and Paratici repeat Spurs’ earlier success with Romero, bolstering a backline which has conceded the most goals of any team in the Premier League’s top eight so far this term.