Liverpool received a boost in their transfer target when Stephan De Vrij revealed that he has been given the green light to leave this January. The Lazio man is valued at £30m and his negotiations for a contract extension has stalled with the Italian outfit.
The Dutch centre-back is one of the defensive targets of Liverpool alongside countryman Virgil van Dijk also in their books. The Reds were forced to issue an apology to Southampton for trying to approach van Dijk for a transfer illegally in the summer.
The 25 year old first arrived at Lazio in the summer of 2014 from Feyenoord for an undisclosed fee and has so far registered 6 goals in 91 appearances for them. The 25-year-old primarily developed his game in the Netherlands before making a significant mark in Europe with the White And Blues.
De Vrij is also a first-team regular in the national team with 31 caps already under his belt.
He had previously attracted a lot of attention from Manchester United when Louis Van Gaal was in charge but none of it materialised. Eager to move to the Premier League and test his abilities against elite level competition, Liverpool might not have much difficulty in obtaining his signature.
It is no secret that Liverpool has faced a lot of defensive problems for the past couple of years under Jurgen Klopp. Ever since the departure of Daniel Agger and Martin Skrtel, nobody has really cemented themselves in the centre-back role to lead the back unit.
Dejan Lovren and Ragnar Klavan are the first choices for the Anfield side under Klopp. But the duo is shaky with a lot of inconsistency between them. Joel Matip has been ruled out for the entire Christmas period with his return uncertain.
Back from his days at Dortmund, Klopp heavily depended on the quality of Mats Hummels and Neven Subotić to hold down the fort from the back. But at Liverpool, nobody has yet adjusted to his fast-paced attacking style of play.
With the attacking lineup of Mohamed Salah, Philipe Coutinho and Roberto Firmino firing on all cylinders this season, it is disappointing for Liverpool fans to see their side concede easily to oppositions and drop crucial points.
Klopp’s side are currently in the 4th spot of the points table and expects to finish there if not higher by the end of the season. However, in the Premier League, a weak defensive setup will definitely hurt your chances as seen in the last fixture against Arsenal where the visitors tapped in 3 goals in quick succession.
De Vrij is a proven talent and lot cheaper than Van Dijk. The remaining transfer budget can be used to acquire a player in the left-back position with Alberto Moreno sidelined for almost 6 weeks.
