West Ham United have missed out on the chance to sign Inter Milan defender Stefan de Vrij as he has now agreed a new two-year deal at the Serie A giants, according to reports.
What's the latest West Ham United transfer news?
West Ham United have been linked with several players this summer as David Moyes looks to build on his side's Europa Conference League triumph last term.
However, he will have to prepare for 2023/24 without club captain Declan Rice, who is set to complete a move to Arsenal imminently for an initial fee of £100 million with £5 million in add-ons, as per Sky Sports.
Searching for his replacement will likely be a major talking point at the London Stadium in the next few weeks. Candidates to succeed the England international already look to have been identified, with The Evening Standard claiming that the Hammers are considering a swoop for Juventus midfielder Denis Zakaria on a loan deal with an option to buy.
The Guardian report that West Ham United are monitoring a host of midfielders as prospective alternatives to Rice, including the likes of Zakaria, Scott McTominay, James Ward-Prowse, Amadou Onana, Alex Scott, Edson Alvarez and Joao Palhinha.
Moyes is also keen to add depth in other positions across the field and the left flank could be an area where the Scot chooses to invest. According to 90min, Leicester City star Harvey Barnes is one of the Irons' main targets this window, though they face competition for his signature from Newcastle United and Aston Villa.
Defence is another area that Moyes will surely be open to bringing in some reinforcements; nevertheless, Inter Milan stalwart De Vrij won't be swapping Serie A for the Premier League this off-season, in light of recent developments.
Football Insider have revealed that De Vrij has been targeted by West Ham United and they made their interest known by getting in contact over a potential deal for the out-of-contract defender.
Despite this, the £115k-a-week ace has agreed terms on a new two-year idea with European giants Inter and will now stay at San Siro, giving manager Simone Inzaghi a major boost as he prepares his side for the new season commencing.
Antonio Conte is a big admirer of the Netherlands international and 'pushed hard' to try and bring him to Tottenham Hotspur when he held the managerial post in N17 before his controversial departure.
Would Stefan De Vrij have been a good fit for West Ham United?
De Vrij carries a wealth of high-level experience and would've been a really intelligent acquisition on a free transfer from Moyes; however, it looks like he won't be pulling on the claret and blue shirt of West Ham United any time soon.
Last term, the experienced Dutchman amassed 38 appearances in all competitions, registering a solitary goal in the process, as per Transfermarkt.
As per WhoScored, De Vrij was a solid presence at the heart of the Inter backline and showed plenty of composure, winning 3.1 aerial duels per match and retaining a pass success rate of 89.5% in Serie A.
Earning an average match rating of 6.96/10 in the Italian top-flight, as per Sofascore, De Vrij would've been a crafty signing for the Hammers, who will now turn their attention toward securing alternative targets in defence.