Barcelona looking to strengthen defense with Dutch centre-back - Reports

Barcelona are hoping to sign Inter Milan centre-back Stefan de Vrij this summer as they look to add more depth to their defense.

The Blaugrana have already secured the signing of Eric Garcia, but want to bolster their backline further by bringing in de Vrij, as per Mundo Deportivo.

The Dutchman is expected to replace Samuel Umtiti, whose future at the club is unclear. The Frenchman has had injury issues, and hasn’t played as much as he would have liked.

Umtiti is currently earning a mammoth €15 million a season in wages, and offloading him will not be easy. But should Barcelona manage to do so, de Vrij could be the ideal replacement.

Barcelona could have a new-look defense next season

The Blaugrana have signed several young players in the last year or so, as they continue to plan for the long-term. Gerard Pique is already 34 and in the twilight of his career.

Samuel Umtiti could have been the player to marshal the Barcelona defense, but the Frenchman’s knee injury has been disruptive in the last couple of years.

Clement Lenglet is 25, and apart from him, most of the other centre-backs at the club are fairly young.

De Vrij could be the experienced head they need as the Dutchman is at the peak of his powers and has already worked with Ronald Koeman.

The 29-year-old could be sold by Inter Milan this summer as the Nerazzurri are looking to trim their wage bill to due to the financial implications of COVID-19.

De Vrij joined Inter on a free transfer in 2018, and has been a key performer for the newly crowned Serie A champions.

Inter stand to make a good profit on the player, but it remains to be seen what kind of money Barcelona will be willing to shell out for the Dutchman.

The defender’s contract with the Serie A side runs until 2023, so they will not want to sell him for cheap this summer.

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