Inter & Netherlands defender on verge of surprise transfer to Greek giants

According to Eindhovens Dagblad, the former Feyenoord centre-back is prepared to embark on a new continental adventure after accumulating over 300 appearances in Serie A across spells at Lazio and Inter. While the deal is not yet officially completed, expectations are high that paperwork will be signed imminently. The veteran's arrival is seen as a major statement of intent for the Athens-based club, who finished a disappointing fourth in the Greek Super League last season, trailing 20 points behind champions AEK Athens.

The Greek outfit have initiated a comprehensive structural overhaul following their poor domestic campaign, which ultimately resulted in the dismissal of former Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez. The Spanish tactician has since been replaced by 38-year-old Danish manager Jacob Neestrup, who arrives with a strong reputation following a successful four-year managerial tenure at FC Copenhagen. Neestrup is eager to inject elite European experience into his defensive line, identifying the Dutch international as the ideal candidate to lead his tactical rebuild.

At the Olympic Stadium, De Vrij will find familiar faces as he joins a squad already featuring several players with strong ties to Dutch football. He will link up with forward Cyriel Dessers, who netted three times in eight games during his debut season in Greece, alongside midfielder Tonny Vilhena, who remains under contract for another year. De Vrij brings an incredible winning pedigree, having won three Serie A titles, three Coppa Italia trophies, and three Supercoppa Italiana crowns during his glittering tenure with the Nerazzurri.

The traditional Greek powerhouse face an intensive summer schedule as they look to end a painful domestic league title drought stretching back to 2010. Neestrup's squad are scheduled to fly out for a pre-season training camp in the Netherlands next week, a trip highlighted by a friendly encounter against Eredivisie giants Ajax.

De Vrij, who was unfortunately forced to withdraw from the World Cup squad due to a nagging groin injury, will look to complete his medical swiftly to integrate into the squad.