Inter Milan are expecting Antonio Conte will ask Tottenham Hotspur to sign Stefan de Vrij in the January transfer window after replacing Nuno Espirito Santo, as per Calciomercato.
Spurs swiftly moved to hire Conte on Tuesday after firing Nuno on Monday following their 3-0 defeat to Manchester United. The result left the north Londoners ninth in the Premier League standings after two wins in their last seven matches.
Reports by The Sun claim Tottenham will hand Conte a £150m transfer budget to shape the squad into his liking. Owner Joe Lewis has backed Chairman Daniel Levy to give the Italian what he needs to make the club competitive.
One who may be on their way to Tottenham now Conte is in charge is Inter Milan defender De Vrij. The Nerazzurri fear Conte will target a mid-season transfer for the centre-half as he holds the Dutchman in high regard.
The pair won the San Siro natives’ first Serie A title in 11-years together last season to end Juventus’ stronghold. Conte started De Vrij in 30 of his 32 appearances on route to the title plus 10 further cup outings. Helping to keep 15 clean sheets across all competitions.
Inter expect Tottenham approach for De Vrij
Inter expect Tottenham will target De Vrij under Conte as they struggle to make progress in negotiations over his contract. The Dutchman and his agent, Mino Raiola, are pushing for a €6m-a-year (£98k-a-week) deal after helping to win Serie A.
The San Siro hierarchy are currently unwilling to match their demands, and do not rule out selling him next year. They had considered cashing in amid interest from Barcelona during Conte’s tenure, as well, but he refused to sell De Vrij as he deems him ideal for his system.
Conte and De Vrij may now reunite at Tottenham, as Sportmediaset also note the defender features on his transfer shortlist. The Italian has drawn up an early list of possible targets, and wants the centre-back to help fix Spurs’ defence.
Should Conte target De Vrij in January?
Conte clearly admires what De Vrij is capable of and the Tottenham boss benefited from his expertise at Inter Milan. But Spurs could face Premier League competition for a transfer for the €3.8m-a-year (£62k-a/w) enforcer Leicester City wanted this summer.
That’s because Tuttosport report Newcastle United also intend to target a transfer for De Vrij following the Magpies’ Saudi-led takeover. But De Vrij’s rapport with Conte, and the Italian’s admiration, should better place Tottenham in any transfer battle.
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