Joel Matip vs Liverpool’s 26-year-old target – Stats show that Reds are better off without the latter

Stefan De Vrij vs Joel Matip – Should Liverpool make a move for the Lazio defender?

Liverpool are reportedly interested in a sensational summer move for Lazio centre-back Stefan De Vrij. The talented defender has attracted attention from a few other Premier League giants as well but if the Reds make an early move with a lucrative offer, they might have an upper edge at landing him.

At 26 years of age, De Vrij is talented and experienced enough to truly make a difference to whichever team he joins. However, do Liverpool really need a new central defender?

While there is no harm in targetting him to boost squad depth, the fact is that the Reds do not really need a new centre-back. After securing a deal for long-term target Virgil van Dijk right before the recently concluded January window, Liverpool look quite strong in that department.

That said, Dejan Lovren and Ragnar Klavan have often received a lot of flak this season and although they have shown improvement, it might not hurt to sign a player like De Vrij.

But how does he compare to Liverpool’s most consistent central defender since Jurgen Klopp took over, Joel Matip? Let’s take a look at their stats so far.

Joel Matip vs Stefan De Vrij

In 26 appearances across competitions for Liverpool this season so far, Matip has chipped in with one goal while picking up 2 yellow cards in the process. He boasts of a pass success rate of 89.8% and wins about 2.1 aerial duels per game.

As far as his defensive prowess is concerned, the 26-year-old averages 1.5 tackles, 1.6 interceptions and 3.7 clearances per game. Until now, he is yet to pick up a single Man of the Match award.

De Vrij, on the other hand, has appeared 27 times across competitions for Lazio this term. Having scored 3 goals so far, the player also received 2 yellow cards. His pass success-rate stands at 92.2% and he wins 1.3 aerial duels on an average.

When it comes to his defending skills, the player averages 1 tackle, 1.9 interceptions and 4.6 clearances per game. Like Matip, even De Vrij has failed to win a single Man of the Match award so far this season.

Verdict

Both players are more on less on par when it comes to numbers and taking that into consideration, splashing out money on De Vrij does seem unnecessary for Jurgen Klopp.

However, the Lazio man does seem to get forward more often, having scored 3 goals already this season. Signing him won’t hurt Liverpool for sure but with four centre-backs at hand, Klopp needs to decide if he wants to sign yet another one next summer.