The Lazio defender has been linked with a move to Liverpool in the summer.
Liverpool have received a boost in their pursuit of Lazio centre-back Stefan de Vrij, after the Italian club’s sporting director admitted that the 26-year-old will leave in the summer, as quoted by Italian media outlet Mediaset Premium.
The Reds have been long-term admirers of the Dutchman, with Italian media outlet TuttoSport claiming that the Merseyside club made an offer for him last month.
Jürgen Klopp brought Virgil van Dijk to Anfield in January, for a fee believed to be worth in the region of £75 million, but the addition of another top-class central defender will be a necessity for Liverpool, if they are to make a sustained challenge for major honours next season.
Lazio sporting Director Igli Tare admitted that De Vrij will be leaving the Rome club this summer, as quoted by Mediaset Premium:
“Lazio have withdrawn the proposal we made for a new contract to De Vrij. We are withdrawing for reasons that we will explain later on. It was a choice made after many months of negotiations, but there is also a limit to how things went. He has been an exemplary professional and we thank him for that as well as what he’ll do until the end of the season. He gave a lot to the club, just as we gave a great deal to him, but our paths will divide in June.”
The Holland international is a superb central defender. He is strong in the air, quick along the ground, and would be the ideal partner for Virgil van Dijk, considering their time spent playing together for the Dutch national team.
His availability on a free transfer at the end of the season makes him an even more attractive prospect, and if Klopp manages to bring him to Anfield in the summer, he could turn out to be the missing piece of the puzzle, as the Reds look to end their 28-year wait for a league title.
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