{{primary_category}}
{{/primary_category}} 
Sources: Aston Villa in hunt to sign Stefan de Vrij after £40m reveal
Aston Villa are keeping tabs on Inter Milan superstar Stefan de Vrij, Football Insider understands.
Villa boss Steven Gerrard wants to sign an A-list centre-back this summer.
A recruitment source has told Football Insider that Holland international De Vrij, 30 is on Villa’s radar as they plot more top-class signings to follow the January capture of Philippe Coutinho.
The Serie A winner’s current deal expires in the summer of 2023 and he was around the £40million mark in January.
That is likely to reduce ahead of the summer window for a centre-back regarded as being in the top bracket in world football.
De Vrij has been with Inter since signing from Serie peers Lazio in May 2018.
Get Exclusive transfers news at Football Insider's YouTube TV channel
He was part of the side that won the Scudetto last season after 10 years in the wilderness.
The Italian giants will go within three points of league leaders AC Milan if they win their game in hand as this year’s title race enters the home straight.
The 55-cap international has, when fit, been an ever-present again this term.
His 31 appearances across all competitions have yielded one goal.
Ezri Konsa and Tyrone Mings have been Villa’s first-choice centre-back pairing this season under both Dean Smith and Gerrard.
Kortney Hause meanwhile, who was a prominent figure in the backline last term, has fallen down the pecking order in 2021-22.
Callum Chambers has also played regularly at centre-half since his arrival from Arsenal in January.
In other news, pundit tips Aston Villa star Matty Cash tipped to sign contract after Spanish source’s Atletico Madrid update.