Conte keen to make £45m Inter star his first Spurs signing

Joe Williams
Antonio Conte Inter Milan Spurs

Antonio Conte is keen to bring Inter Milan defender Stefan de Vrij to Spurs if he becomes their new manager, according to reports.

The 51-year-old is out of a job after leaving Inter Milan last month, having guided them to a first Serie A title since 2010, and could be primed for a return to London.

Conte could also reportedly be joined by Fabio Paratici in a director of football role, with the pair having previously worked together at Juventus.


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Spurs have been searching for a new manager since firing Jose Mourinho at the end of April and are still interested in former boss Mauricio Pochettino.

Reports yesterday suggested Conte will only take the Tottenham job if Harry Kane remains at the club beyond the summer, while another report claimed the Spurs board is increasingly confident of his appointment.

And now Football Insider says that Conte has been discussing possible targets with the Italian already suggesting the Premier League club should sign De Vrij ‘during negotiations to be their new manager’.

The Netherlands international ‘has been mentioned by Conte as a top-class operator who could be lured from Inter’ with the Italian club suffering financially.

The report adds that De Vrij is ‘rated at around the £45million mark’ with the 29-year-old having two years left on his contract at the San Siro.

It is understood that the former Lazio defender is ‘rated by Conte even more highly than Milan Skriniar’ who Spurs have been heavily linked with in the past.

Football Insider adds: ‘Spurs are in the market for an A-list centre-back this summer and will listen to offers for the likes of Davinson Sanchez to raise funds.’

Conte has also been linked to the vacancy at Everton after Carlo Ancelotti took charge of Real Madrid earlier in the week – but former Crystal Palace chairman Simon Jordan can’t understand the links.

Jordan told talkSPORT: “With respect to Conte, he is a serial winner, why does he need to take a project?

“What’s the project for him? What is he, a philanthropic? I really like Merseyside, I’d go to Everton and see what I can spin my wheels over there.

“He has just won Serie A with Inter Milan. He causes chaos wherever he goes and he gets paid for it, but he wins. What’s he going to go to Everton for?”