Tottenham Hotspur are eyeing a move for Stefan De Vrij...

What's the word?

That's according to Sport Mediaset (via Sport Witness), who claim that Spurs have courted the 30-year-old defender as they look to either sign him on the cheap during the current transfer window or for free at the end of this current contract, which expires in the summer.

Inter Milan have made an attempt to renew his deal for another two years to avoid him leaving for nothing at the end of the season but they are yet to hear an answer.

Antonio Conte has worked with the Netherlands international in the past and it's thought that it could be a defining factor in De Vrij's decision.

Paratici bargain

Lilywhites sporting director Fabio Paratici has proven to be shrewd in the transfer market in recent windows, with notable examples being the double swoop for Juventus flops Rodrigo Bentancur and Dejan Kulsevski.

Even the likes of Pape Matar Sarr and Bryan Gil, two of the Italian's early and risky signings, are looking to come good as both played their part in Spurs' recent 4-0 demolition of Crystal Palace.

De Vrij could be the next one up as he'd fill a defensive void for manager Antonio Conte as only Cristian Romero is only really guaranteed in his starting lineup.

Despite the uncertainty over his future, the Dutchman remains a regular for the Nerazzurri. He's currently Simeone Inzaghi's highest-rated centre-back and sixth-best player overall, as per WhoScored figures. No player is winning more headers or recording more interceptions in the squad either.

It's perhaps little surprise to have seen Conte's former ace dubbed a "monster" by an ex-Lazio teammate in Mauricio.

"He’s very tall, he’s strong and fast, he runs a lot – he’s a monster!" he claimed.

“He also has excellent technique and knows how to play the ball like few others, and that’s the difference between him and other players."

De Vrij is also adept with the ball at his feet, ranking within the top 11% of all centre-backs across Europe's top five divisions for pass completion per 90, via FBref, whilst WhoScored lists passing as one of his major strengths, which will be very pleasing to Conte and how he likes to play out from the back.

Some reports in Italy have suggested that Inter would sell him for as little as €5m (£4m), making the £119k-per-week titan an absolute bargain, even if Spurs could sign him for free in six months' time.

As such, Paratici must look to seal another masterclass in the transfer market by signing De Vrij for peanuts this month.

AND in other news, 75% duels lost: Spurs' shocking £40k-p/w "machine" was "chasing shadows" vs Palace...