Man United and Chelsea ready for summer battle over Lazio ace
Published:
Lazio defender Stefan de Vrij is set to be the subject of a tug of war between Manchester United and Chelsea.
The 24-year-old centre-half is continuing to impress in Rome, where Lazio currently boast the fourth-best defence in Serie A.
The Dutchman has been with I Biancocelesti for two-and-a-half years, since joining in the summer of 2014 from Feyenoord.
And it was Rotterdam where the Dutch international came through the youth ranks, making his debut in 2009 as a 17-year-old.
After five years Lazio came calling with a £6m offer, and Dr Vrij has stepped up to Italian football seamlessly.
The defender made his international debut in 2012, and has since gone on to make 30 appearances for Oranje.
And he has produced the goods on the biggest stage too, with his performances at the 2014 World Cup seeing him named in the FIFA’s World Cup All-Star team that summer.
Chelsea have been linked with the 6ft 2in centre-half for several months, but United’s name has been cropping up on and off since 2014 – the summer he joined Lazio.
While a move for Benfica’s Victor Lindelof continues to hit the stumbling blocks, it seems Jose Mourinho is eyeing up potential alternatives.
Valued at £17m by transfermarkt.co.uk, De Vrij’s contract at Lazio expires in 18 months, and the club will be coming under increasing pressure to sell up or offer a new deal.
Touted as one of the best defender’s on the continent, the Dutch international is set to be highly sought after this summer.
For now United and Chelsea must concentrate on their respective league campaigns.
The Red Devils host rivals Liverpool on Sunday as 6/5 favourites, with Chelsea odds-on at 8/13 to win at Leicester on Saturday night.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing
