Inter Milan’s Serie A champion Stefan de Vrij turned down a January transfer to Premier League outfit Newcastle United, as reported by Tuttomercatoweb.
He might not have a league winner’s medal adorning on his CV. He might not have conquered the continent, beating Antonio Conte in a European final. He might not have represented Brazil at the Olympics, or the Netherlands at a European Championship.
But what Dan Burn lacks in glitz and glamour, he makes up for in grit and graft.
Burn, in many ways, felt like a rather underwhelming addition to Eddie Howe’s squad. A deadline-day panic buy, some said.
A massive downgrade on the club’s other, more ambitious transfer targets; Sven Botman, Diego Carlos and Stefan de Vrij. Hardly the sort of marquee, statement signing fans of the ‘richest football club in the world’ were dreaming of as their heads hit the pillow.
But underestimate Burn at your peril.
If his Man of the Match performance in Sunday’s nail-biting 1-0 victory over Aston Villa is anything to go by, Burn’s leadership skills, positional sense, tactical flexibility and fierce commitment to the cause – he is a boyhood, Blyth-born black-and-white fanatic remember – could prove invaluable to Newcastle’s survival prospects.
Will Stefan de Vrij leave Inter Milan for the Premier League?
It is not certain how much Newcastle were willing to pay for Stefan de Vrij last month. But the Scudetto-winning centre-back – Serie A’s 2020 Defender of the Year – certainly would have set Newcastle back far more than the £13 million they spent on the criminally-underrated Burn.
According to TMW, the nouveau-riche Magpies made a ‘very rich proposal’ for De Vrij.
But the Dutchman, who joined Inter from Lazio five years ago, ‘immediately ‘brought an end to negotiations.
Newcastle might have more money than God these days. But, while the Tynesiders claw their way out of the drop zone, De Vrij is preparing for a Champions League clash with Liverpool. Inter are also one point off the top of the Serie A table and have a Coppa Italia semi-final to look forward to against bitter rivals AC Milan.
It remains to be seen whether Newcastle plan to return for De Vrij in the summer.
TMW believe that at least one Premier League club will come calling, with Tottenham Hotspur boss Antonio Conte keen to reunite with one of his most reliable foot-soldiers in North London.
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