Former Tottenham Hotspur right-back Alan Hutton has backed the North Londoners to make a move for Stefan de Vrij in January.
The Inter Milan defender recently spoke to the media about a possible move to Tottenham which would see him link up once again with former boss Antonio Conte and admitted the ‘connection is easy’ having had the experience of playing under the Italian (ZiggoSport).
Conte played the 29-year-old 32 times in the Inter’s Serie A winning title campaign last season before he decided to leave soon after the season ended.
Hutton believes that a £40million fee for the central defender would be a fair amount, given the level of experience the Dutch international could bring to the Spurs back line.
The former Scottish international believes that Conte needs to focus his spending on the heart of the defence, given the fact that he prefers to operate with a back three.
He told Football Insider: “He is what they need. Conte, a back-three is his style.
“He knows how to get the best out of these players and what formation to play. A back-three, you have to be strong.
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“I think he’d be a good addition. Decent age, good experience, it’s within the value I think is fair. I mean, some people may say it’s a little bit high for a 29-year-old but you’re getting a wealth of experience and a strong defender.
“You need that foundation to build on moving forward and Conte knows what he’s doing. I would imagine he’s been told he can get X amount in the transfer window and this is how he’s starting to use it, by looking to make De Vrij his first deal.
“Hopefully he spends wisely because the back three, I think, is where they need to strengthen.”
SpursWeb Opinion
De Vrij would be a solid signing for Tottenham, but it seems unlikely that Inter would be prepared to part company with a first-team regular halfway through the season.
A creative midfielder has to be at the top of the shopping list, given the club’s struggles to fashion chances in front of goal.
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