Inter market, Barcelona swoops in on Nerazzurri veteran

Barcelona urgently needs an experienced defender who can contribute to the team right away: Hansi Flick has lost Andreas Christensen (partial ligament rupture, he won&#8217t be back until mid-May) and has to deal with Ronald Araujo&#8217s situation. The experienced Uruguayan defender has asked the club for time off to recover mentally and recharge his batteries: it appears he may return in January but there is still no certain date regarding his return to the field. The need for a new defender for Barcelona is clear.

According to Mundo Deportivo, the club has evaluated several profiles and among those that interest the club most is that of Stefan de Vrij. The seasoned Dutch central is not playing much: so far Cristian Chivu has given him just 181 minutes in the league and he would like to be employed with more continuity to convince Holland coach Ronald Koeman to bet on him for the upcoming World Cup. He could play more in Barcelona than he has done so far at Inter but the Nerazzurri club is hesitant about the Dutchman&#8217s transfer.

Francesco Acerbi is in the pits due to a hamstring injury and will not return until mid-January.

The timing, however, could also be prolonged and Cristian Chivu would be in great difficulty. Should Stefan de Vrij be sold, Beppe Marotta should find a replacement immediately to avoid taking risks in the defensive department given also the frequency of Acerbi’s injuries in recent times. A meeting between Stefan de Vrij’s entourage and the Nerazzurri management is expected in the coming weeks: there a final decision will be made.

Inter has been monitoring the market for defenders for some time, but the strategy was to arrive in June with Francesco Acerbi and Stefan de Vrij in the squad and then to place a hit and green up the Nerazzurri rearguard. The early sale of the Dutchman could therefore force the Biscione executives to revise their plans of action.

The main target for the summer was Marcos Senesi, an Argentine defender whose contract is expiring with Bournemouth. The English are trying to convince him to renew but the’former Feyenoord is very hesitant and would prefer a change of scenery.

Bournemouth, however, is unlikely to agree to deprive him in January.