Inter Milan are reportedly planning to steal a march on Chelsea to land Lazio defender Stefan de Vrij in the summer transfer window.
Italian publication La Gazzetta dello Sport have reported that Inter Milan are planning a swoop on Stefan de Vrij in the summer, and the Nerazzurri are planning steal a march on Chelsea to secure the services of the Lazio defender.
De Vrij first rose to prominence during the 2014 FIFA World Cup as he played a key role for the Netherlands, who eventually finished third in the competition. His stellar performances during the World Cup then saw him earn a move to Lazio in 2014, and he has been an integral part of the club’s first team setup.
De Vrij has featured in 19 Serie A games so far, and has even managed to bag a goal and an assist for his side. His solid performances at the back have culminated in Lazio having one of the best defensive records in the Italian top flight and the capital club are in the mix to qualify for the Champions League as well.
However, it appears as if all might not be well at Stadio Olimpico, with reports claiming that de Vrij has been stalling on contract talks with the club. As a result, clubs have started circling around the Dutch international, with Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea all being linked with him.
However, the former two sides have cooled off in their pursuit of de Vrij, while Chelsea have remained interested. In fact, the Blues are reported to be preparing a £21 million bid to land the central defender in the summer.
Antonio Conte is looking to bring central defensive reinforcements in the summer in order to add strength in depth at the back. That is because club captain John Terry looks all set to leave the club at the end of the season, leaving the Chelsea boss with just the inexperienced duo of Nathan Ake and Kurt Zouma as backups.
De Vrij’s possible acquisition will, thus, not only solve the problem of depth in the squad for Conte but also enable him to add a genuine top class defender to his squad to challenge for a starting role in the side.
However, they are now all set to face competition in the form of Inter Milan. The report states that the Nerazzurri are targetting de Vrij and Kostas Manolas, but are close to reaching agreement on personal terms with the Dutchman, with a four-year €3 million deal on offer.
One sticking point, though, could be Lazio president Claudio Lotito’s insistence on selling de Vrij for €30-35 million in the summer, while Inter aren’t keen on offering anything over €20 million. That could put the ball in Chelsea’s court again, and it remains to be seen where the defender heads in the summer.
