Liverpool Lurk as Lazio & Star Defender Stefan De Vrij Agree New Contract With €30m Release Clause

After an inconsistent start to the season that has seen Liverpool's frailties come to the fore, it is perhaps unsurprising to read that Jurgen Klopp is already planning to bring in defensive reinforcements in the January transfer window.

One man who appears to be top of Klopp's wish list is Lazio centre back Stefan de Vrij. The Dutch defender is in the last year of his contract with the Italian side, and reports suggest that the only sticking point between the club and the player in negotiations relates to the value of the release clause in de Vrij's contract.

Sport Witness reports that De Vrij had been asking for a figure in the region of €25m, while Lazio prefer a deal that would earn them in excess of €40m for one of their prized assets.

Now however, it appears that a fee has been agreed between the two parties, with the report suggesting that the figure settled on is set to be a compromise in the region of €30m.

Given that Liverpool spent around £80m in the summer to bring Mohammed Salah, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Andy Robertson to Anfield in the summer, it would appear that a fee for De Vrij would be well within the club's reach.

25-year-old De Vrij, who has 31 caps for the Netherlands, has made eight appearances for Lazio in all competitions this season, scoring twice.