Stefan de Vrij’s Inter Milan contract expires next summer, and Newcastle United could reportedly try to sign the Dutch defender.
As it stands, he will become a free agent in 2023. And Premier League clubs are already looking at the possibility of signing the 30-year-old, including the Magpies.
According to Italian website The Interista, both Newcastle and Tottenham Hotspur have already made contact with De Vrij’s entourage about a possible move.
This isn’t the first time that the Inter Milan defender has been linked with Newcastle in the past 12 months. Eddie Howe’s side reportedly tried to sign him in January, and were then willing to pay £20million for him in the summer.
However, De Vrij remained at the San Siro, and could be available for absolutely nothing next summer.
Newcastle trying to sign De Vrij sounds unlikely
There is no denying that the Netherlands international is an exceptional defender. De Vrij has previously been called ‘the best defender in Serie A‘ by Dutch pundit Willem van Hanegem. That is incredibly high praise considering the talented defenders that have played in Italy in recent years.
However, he doesn’t feel like the type of player Newcastle would sign right now.
If the Magpies were to wait until the summer of 2023 and get him on a free, he would be 31-years-old. He would be the same age as Fabian Schar and Dan Burn, who are Howe’s first choice defenders at the minute.
If Newcastle are going to sign another centre-back in the near future, surely it will be someone younger. The Toon owners will be targeting Sven Botman’s long-term partner.
The 22-year-old Dutchman is the future of Newcastle’s defence. While he could form a good partnership with fellow countryman De Vrij, it seems incredibly unlikely.
This report from Italy might suggest that the Magpies have made their first move to sign De Vrij. However, it would be a real surprise to see him in a Toon shirt in 2023.
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