Placing a last minute bid in the summer, Chelsea came relatively close to signing Lazio’s Stefan De Vrij, but a rejection and David Luiz’s availability put a stop to all that.
Ever since, the Blues have been sporadically linked with a return for the 24-year-old, but it’s José Mourinho’s Manchester United who the local Italian press reckon have the best chance next summer.
This now means two different newspapers are reporting the story, following La Repubblica’s article on Sunday, suggesting there could really be something in this.
Seeing both Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld leave games early because of injuries in consecutive weeks, Pochettino is probably thinking about adding more depth to his squad for next season at centre-back, just in case.
Even if the latter could be fit fairly soon, seeing Victor Wanyama finish the game against Manchester City at centre-back won’t have been a part of Tottenham’s plans.
Il Tempo report Stefan De Vrij won’t be renewing his contract with Lazio, as his current deal ends in June 2018, meaning that with one year left, the Serie A club shouldn’t be able to prevent a departure if the right offer comes along.
The asking price would be around £30m if previous reports are correct, but with just a year left, the scenario would be perfect for Daniel Levy and his pressure negotiating. Should De Vrij be keen on Tottenham, and the Spurs’ interest be genuine, this could be one which lasts the whole summer.
