Juventus Transfer News: Stefan De Vrij Linked in Latest Rumours

Juventus are reportedly interested in signing Lazio centre-back Stefan De Vrij at the end of the campaign if he decides against agreeing a new contract with his current club. 

According to Romeo Agresti of Goal, while De Vrij is in talks with the capital club over a possible extension, a deal isn't close to being done.

"The Dutchman has also been linked with Liverpool in recent transfer windows, but Serie A champions Juve see him as a good option to bolster the centre of their defence," Agresti continued. "However, Massimiliano Allegri's side are only interested in signing him for free."

As noted in the report, last week De Vrij was coy when discussing his future. "I'm very happy to be here, we are talking to the club now, and I hope to find an agreement," he said. "You never know what will happen, but my intention is to grow, improve and make the best decision for my career."

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De Vrij is a key figure at the Stadio Olimpico, having made rapid progress since moving to Lazio from Feyenoord in 2014. Now he's one of the standout defenders in Serie A, and if Juventus were able to sign him for nothing at the end of the campaign, it'd be a substantial coup.

While Juve have always been associated with strong defending and excellent organisation, this season there has been some uncharacteristic flimsiness at the back from Allegri's side. 

Having lost Leonardo Bonucci and Dani Alves in the summer, the Italian champions have been far from secure in Serie A; in the 2-1 loss to Lazio and 6-2 win over Udinese, frailties in the defensive structure have been exposed.

As noted by Bleacher Report's Adam Digby during the game against Udinese, at the moment there are weaknesses throughout the side:

While Giorgio Chiellini remains vital to the cause, Andrea Barzagli is approaching the end of his career, Medhi Benatia is inconsistent and Allegri doesn't appear to have total faith in Daniele Rugani.

De Vrij would make sense as an acquisition in that case. Juventus have plenty of options to play at centre-back, but the Dutchman is a proven quality operator in Italian football and appears ready to make the step up to a giant of a football club.

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Per David Amoyal of ESPN FC, De Vrij is part of a team in the capital that is making excellent progress under manager Simone Inzaghi:

The Lazio man is a rounded centre-back. On the ball he's capable, while he's also a sharp reader of the game and clean tackler. His ability to play in a back three or a back four would also make him ideal for Juve, who are adaptable in the way they set up.

If he was given assurances over regular first-team football a move to Turin would be ideal for De Vrij. You can bet Lazio will do all they can to keep such a crucial figure around for a while yet, though.