Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly in pole position to sign Inter Milan centre-back Stefan de Vrij next summer.
The Netherlands international is out of contract at San Siro at the end of the season and will be free to discuss pre-contract agreements with foreign clubs from January onwards.
De Vrij worked closely with Tottenham boss Antonio Conte during the Italian's time in charge of Inter Milan, and he was a prominent member of their 2020-21 Serie A-winning team.
Conte has unsurprisingly been tipped to reunite with De Vrij at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, but the Lilywhites are anticipating competition for his signature.
Aston Villa and Leicester City have also been credited with an interest in De Vrij, who was a part of the Netherlands squad during their run to the World Cup quarter-finals.
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However, Football Insider claims that Tottenham are at the head of the queue to sign the 30-year-old, and the Lilywhites could even look to secure a deal during the January transfer window.
The report claims that Conte has already spoken to De Vrij over a potential reunion in North London, and Tottenham tried to sign him last January, but Inter refused to sanction a sale.
The Dutchman has supposedly been told by the Nerazzurri that he will be offered a new deal, but the club have not made a proposal, and he is "increasingly likely" to head for the exit door.
Inter were understood to have slapped a £40m price tag on De Vrij over the summer, but Tottenham can now expect to be quoted a cut-price fee lest Inter risk the centre-back leaving on a free transfer.
Atletico Madrid are said to be closely rivalling Tottenham for the signature of De Vrij, who did not play a minute of football for the Netherlands during the World Cup in Qatar.
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The former Lazio man made the move to San Siro on a free transfer in the summer of 2018, and he has since amassed nine goals and seven assists in 181 games for Inter across all tournaments.
De Vrij has remained an integral player for Simone Inzaghi this term despite his contract situation, starting 11 matches in Serie A and a further three in the Champions League.
De Vrij is one of three Inter Milan centre-backs facing uncertain futures, with Alessandro Bastoni and Milan Skriniar also linked with moves to Tottenham in recent months.
Bastoni, whose contract expires in 2024, recently confirmed that there was contact with the North London club over the summer, but he was happy with his decision to stay put in Italy.
Meanwhile, Skriniar is also due to become a free agent in 2023 and is believed to be on the radar of Real Madrid, Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain, who tried and failed to sign him in the summer.
However, Inter are expected to prioritize a new contract for the Slovakia international, meaning that the door could open for De Vrij to leave amid the Nerazzurri's well-documented financial difficulties.
Ben Knapton
