Aston Villa head coach Steven Gerrard could give target Stefan de Vrij 'the captain's armband straightaway' if he succeeds in luring the Inter Milan star to Villa Park, according to journalist Conor Clancy.

The summer transfer window does not officially open until next month, but Gerrard has already been busy by signing Philippe Coutinho on a permanent basis and agreeing a deal which will take Boubacar Kamara to the Midlands after his Marseille contract expires.

What's the latest news involving de Vrij?

According to Football Insider, de Vrij has been made available by Inter and could be allowed to leave the San Siro for £15million.

The report suggests Villa, Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United are interested in attracting the 55-cap Netherlands international to the Premier League for the first time in his career.

It appears de Vrij's value has tumbled as it was only a matter of months ago when his current employers were understood to be seeking up to £40million for his services.

That is likely to be due to the central defender being set to enter the final 12 months of his £116,000-per-week contract at Inter.

Despite the uncertainty over his long-term future, de Vrij has still made 41 appearances for his current employers this season.

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What has Conor Clancy said about de Vrij?

Clancy believes de Vrij would quickly become one of the first names on the team-sheet if he were to seal a summer move to Villa.

The Serie A journalist even feels the Dutchman's leadership qualities could result in him being named as the Midlands giants' new skipper before the 2022/23 campaign starts.

Clancy told GIVEMESPORT: "I think de Vrij would be a hugely important player immediately.

"He is the type of player that could come in and just be given the captain's armband straightaway."

Are Villa looking for a new captain?

Tyrone Mings was named as Villa's captain last summer, but that came before Gerrard was appointed as the club's head coach.

Although Mings was a key member of the backline this season, making 37 appearances, it appears Gerrard could look to put his own stamp on his squad.

The Villa boss has confirmed he will reassess who should wear the captain's armband ahead of next season getting underway, while he admitted to informing Mings that he would not necessarily be the long-term skipper soon after he headed to Villa Park from Rangers last November.