According to latest reports, Italian heavyweights Lazio have shortlisted a list of defenders to replace Stefan de Vrij after his move to Inter Milan, and one of those defenders is Celtic‘s Dedryck Boyata. Boyata is currently with his national team Belgium in Russia and is in line to make an appearance in the first game as Vincent Kompany is struggling with an injury.
If he goes on to start, he will certainly generate interest among some Serie A and Lazio fans and it remains to be seen whether he will be picked in their first encounter against Panama. The 27-year-old has been a regular at the back for Brendan Rodgers and he will certainly feature in his plans for the upcoming season.
Though Boyata is not the best of the defenders at the Hoops’ disposal, Rodgers rates him highly. However, the defender is set to enter in his final year of the contract and the Hoops have failed to tie him down on a long-term basis. However, he can still go on to sign a new contract at Celtic Park after the World Cup but a move to Serie A will certainly be tempting for the Belgian defender.
As mentioned, the defender has been a crucial part of Rodgers’ side and featured 39 times in all competitions last season. He was even involved in scoring three goals and was part of the Celtic team who had the meanest defence in the league conceding just 25 goals, while their arch-rivals Rangers conceded exactly double of that!
Lazio narrowly missed out on Champions League qualification as they and Inter Milan ended up on the same number of points. However, the Milan outfit edged past them for the fourth spot as they had beaten them in a head to head encounter. Nevertheless, the Eagles are on the rise in Italian football and Boyata will certainly think twice before turning them down if they make a concrete offer for him.
The Hoops secured a treble for a second consecutive season and they are pretty much unchallenged in their league currently. Rodgers will like to continue their domination with the same set of players as they are aware of their tasks and responsibilities. Boyata has been an important player for them for the past three years. The Belgian is entering in the final year of his contract and that will be a cause for concern for the Hoops board and management team and it might very well happen that after the World Cup, Lazio can move in for him if he decides to not extend his contract at Parkhead further.
