Manchester United and Aston Villa are “among” the Premier League clubs who have “shown interest” in Inter Milan centre-back Stefan de Vrij, according to reporter Rudy Galetti.
The Italian journalist claims the Netherlands international could be sold if a good enough bid comes in for the defender this summer:
🚨↩️ Stefan #DeVrij could leave #Inter during the summer. ⚫🔵
📌 Some #EPL clubs have shown interest in the 🇳🇱 centre-back: #MUTD and #AVFC are among these. 🐓⚽ #Transfers #Calciomercato pic.twitter.com/K1uNxQu7yJ
— Rudy Galetti (@RudyGaletti) June 15, 2022
Reports in Italy last week had linked de Vrij with Chelsea, and it was suggested that Inter may only want around €15m (£13m) to sell the player. The main reason for that is the Dutchman only has a year left on his contract at the San Siro.
United boss Erik ten Hag is keen on recruiting a centre-half but whether de Vrij is at the top of his list of options, it is doubtful. For a start, he is 30 years of age and he wouldn’t be a long-term solution to the Manchester club’s defensive problems.
Younger alternatives, such as Ajax’s Jurrien Timber, Leicester’s Wesley Fofana and Villarreal’s Pau Torres, are believed to be ten Hag’s preference but budget restraints may force him into making compromises. If the Red Devils do shell out on Barcelona’s Frenkie de Jong, it would mean cutting their cloth accordingly elsewhere, so de Vrij may well be considered as a potential candidate.