Spurs leading the race to sign 'one of the best defenders in the world'

Tottenham Hotspur are in need of bolstering their attacking ranks come the end of the season.

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

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

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

Now, speculation linking Spurs with Stefan de Vrij is increasing.

FC Inter News claimed earlier this week that Tottenham have made the ‘most convincing’ contact to date for the Dutchman.

Barcelona are also reportedly in the picture for De Vrij, who’s now in the final 18 months of his contract.

InterLive.it have published a report focusing on the Blaugrana’s plans to sign the 30-year-old in the summer.

With regards to Tottenham’s interest, the outlet claims Spurs are currently ‘in the very first place’ to sign De Vrij.

Conte would reportedly like to reunite with the Dutchman, as if it were a ‘stamp of guarantee’ for Tottenham’s defence.

In a further boost to Tottenham, Inter are reportedly ‘seriously considering’ selling De Vrij in the summer.

They do not want to lose such a saleable asset for free.

If they don’t agree a new contract with the centre-back, a summer sale would be their only option.

“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.”