Inter sign De Vrij, Asamoah

Inter Milan have announced the signings of Dutch central defender Stefan De Vrij and Ghanaian versatile footballer on free transfers from Lazio and Juventus respectively.

While 29-year-old Asamoah has signed a contract that will run from July 1, 2018 to June 30, 2021, De Vrij penned a five-year contract, the 18-time Italian football champions declared on Monday.

The pair join Roma midfielder Radja Nainggolan and Sassuolo forward Matteo Politano in joining Inter this summer as the club add depth to make an impressive return to UEFA Champions League.

Asamoah came to Inter after the end of his contract with Juventus, with whom he won a total of 13 trophies, including six consecutive Serie A titles and also reached two Champions League finals.

The Ghanaian international featured 156 times and scoring five goals in Serie A, the Coppa Italia, Supercoppa Italiana, Champions League and Europa League for Juventus, bringing a valuable mix of versatility and reliability. Asamoah was equally effective as a left-back, wide midfielder or holding midfielder, earning the unconditional trust of his coaches and teammates at Juventus.

Asamoah has so far made 69 appearances and scored four goals for Ghana, finishing third (2008) and second (2010) in the African Cup of Nations. He also took part in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

De Vrij, 26, is also an experienced campaigner coming off a four-year stint with Lazio. Before Lazio, he was at Fayenoord Rotterdam, whom he joined at the age of 10.

For the Netherlands, De Vrij has so far made 36 appearances and scored three goals.

--IANS

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