Report: Newcastle target now available for just £4m in January, Tottenham have held talks

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Newcastle and Tottenham target Stefan de Vrij is available for just €5m (£4m) in January with his Inter Milan contract close to expiring.

That is according to Calcio Mercato Web, who add that Antonio Conte has already held talks with the Netherlands international after managing him at the San Siro, where they won the Serie A title together.

Newcastle or Tottenham could land a bargain

Well, Inter Milan are now preparing to lose their No.6 in 2023 after failing to agree a new contract with him.

Calcio Mercato Web believe Federico Pastorello – De Vrij’s agent – is still set to hold talks with the Italian giants over a possible renewal, although there does not seem to be much optimism at the San Siro.

As a result, Inter Milan have placed a £4m price tag on the 30-year-old for the upcoming January transfer window, in order to not lose him on a free in the summer.

De Vrij has been a key cog for Inter Milan this season, making 16 appearances in all competitions as the Nerazzurri sit fifth in Serie A.

It comes after L’Interista claimed that Newcastle had also made contact with Inter Milan to ask about the centre-back’s availability, as Eddie Howe looks to seize upon an intriguing market opportunity.

Tottenham need De Vrij more than Newcastle

In our view, Spurs must ensure they sign De Vrij ahead of Newcastle, and should even consider pushing their offer to a sum in the region of £10m if Newcastle also offer £4m.

Howe already has a strong centre-back department including Sven Botman, Fabian Schar and Dan Burn, whereas Conte has had to bring in the underwhelming Clement Lenglet on loan from Barcelona to boost his options.

Newcastle also boast the joint-best defence in the Premier League this season alongside Arsenal, conceding just 11 goals in 15 games while keeping seven clean sheets, so the Magpies do not need to change things at the back.

Given his relationship with Conte, we would be very surprised if De Vrij ended up anywhere other than Tottenham in 2023.