After concluding the past season on a low note, Stefan De Vrij has continued struggling in the current one, and he hasn’t been alone in the Inter defense. His contract runs out next June, and the club will soon have to decide what to do, La Gazzetta dello Sport informs.
After being rock-solid for a few years, the Dutchman started to make blunders in the past campaign. The Derby against Milan, where Olivier Giroud bagged two goals, was a negative turning point. He failed to return to his previous levels afterward. Some in the Netherlands wonder whether he should be a starter in the World Cup.
Given his contractual situation, Inter considered cashing in on De Vrij early last summer once he solved a legal battle against his previous representatives. He joined on a free, so any income would have netted a profit. But the Nerazzurri didn’t get an adequate offer. In general, they were more preoccupied with the future of Milan Skriniar.
La Benemata eventually signed Francesco Acerbi, who started in the last two matches and fared more convincingly. If the 30-year-old didn’t turn things around in the next couple of months, the management might not tender a new contract. He earns €4M annually.
Our Take on Inter and De Vrij
Given the natural longevity of center-backs, it’s too early for him to go downhill, and he has had these up-and-down stretches in the past. The Nerazzurri did try to bring in a top defender who could have supplanted him, but they were short on cash. Their woes in the back go way beyond the Dutchman, and if the others improve, which is probably going to happen, that will lift him too.
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