Why Everton over Liverpool would be the ideal destination for this out-of-contract Serie A defensive wall

Why Everton Over Liverpool Would Be The Ideal Destination For Stefan De Vrij

Merseyside rivals Liverpool and Everton have both been chasing Lazio centre-back Stefan De Vrij and according to latest reports, the Italian club’s director has confirmed that he will leave for free in the summer. The player’s contract will end in June and he has refused to sign a new contract with the club.

De Vrij is understood to be keen on moving to the Premier League and while that does come as a boost for Liverpool and Everton, they must bear in mind that he has a host of other clubs waiting in line as well.

That said, if the choice came down to just Liverpool and Everton, it would present quite an interesting scenario. To be honest, the Reds are not desperate for a central defender but signing De Vrij would add a new dynamic to their defence while also boosting their squad depth.

For Everton, on the other hand, it is an entirely different situation. They are in dire need of a new centre-back and if they miss out on the Lazio man, the Toffees will have to continue their search.

Based on the requirement alone, it would make more sense for De Vrij to join Everton. Ashley Williams and Phil Jagielka are both on the wrong side of 30 and Cuco Martina has blown hot and cold throughout this season. Michael Keane has shown promising signs but having him alone is far from enough.

Despite being in a massive slump, Everton have managed to pull themselves out of the danger of getting relegated and are now sitting comfortably at 9th place in the league standings. They have thrived under Sam Allardyce’s guidance but their defence continues to be in shambles.

Meanwhile, the Reds have one of the top central defenders in the Premier League. Virgil Van Dijk’s presence has undoubtedly boosted their defence ever since he arrived in the January window. The likes of Dejan Lovren and Ragnar Klavan were extremely poor at the beginning of the season but they have been adequate lately and Joel Matip has been rock-solid as well.

Hence, they do not really need De Vrij but since they could land him for free, it does make sense for Klopp to make an ambitious approach.

This is a tough one, to be honest. De Vrij can add immense value to both these teams but as mentioned earlier, Everton truly need a player like him more than Liverpool do. Hence, the Toffees must do everything they can to land him. That said, the 26-year-old could be attracted by the prospect of Champions League football and Liverpool are the ones who can offer him that.