Spurs could spend big on 'one of the best defenders in the world'

Tottenham Hotspur could really do with bolstering their defence in the summer.

The Spurs back line has struggled in recent years, and Antonio Conte is still having big problems in that area.

However, there have been some promising transfer reports doing the rounds in recent weeks.

Fabrizio Romano recently claimed Tottenham will “100 percent” sign a new centre-back in the summer window.

And one player apparently on the Spurs radar is Inter Milan star Stefan de Vrij.

FC Inter News claimed in February that Tottenham have made the ‘most convincing’ contact to date for the Dutchman.

Meanwhile, Inter Live reported that Conte has specifically requested that Tottenham sign De Vrij this summer.

And with that, they are ready to put a four-year deal on the table for the 30-year-old.

De Vrij is likely to be up for sale in the summer due to his contract expiring in 2023.

Calciomercato reported in February that Inter have placed a €20m (£16.6million) price tag on De Vrij’s head.

Journalist Pete O’Rourke reckons Tottenham would be willing to go to extreme lengths to sign De Vrij in the next transfer window.

Asked by GiveMeSport if the north London outfit will be all over the central defender at €20m, he replied: “Definitely.

“They would be interested in De Vrij whatever the price tag is.”

“I have found him to be clearly superior to De Ligt”

De Vrij is a defender of the highest calibre, boasting over 400 appearances for Inter, Lazio and Feyenoord.

He also won the Serie A title last season with Conte and has won over half a century of caps for the Netherlands.

Last April, Dutch pundit and former player Willem van Hanegem sung De Vrij’s praises in Algemeen Dagblad.

“De Vrij is simply the best defender in Serie A,” he wrote (translated on Football Italia).

“I have found him to be clearly superior to De Ligt for a long time.

“De Vrij is going to take the Serie A title, but here people just want to talk about Virgil van Dijk.

“De Vrij really has become one of the best defenders in the world. It just seems that many people don’t want to see it.”