Chelsea have been handed a major boost in their pursuit of Lazio defender Stefan de Vrij, according to Calciomercato.
de Vrij came through the ranks at Feyenoord and made 135 Eredivisie appearances for the Dutch outfit, establishing himself as one of the most accomplished centre-halves in the division. His good performances earned him a move to Lazio, where he has continued his development into a well-rounded, ball-playing defender.
He has grown into one of the most dependable defenders in Italy’s top tier, and it looks to have caught the eye of Antonio Conte. According to Calciomercato, Chelsea are interested in securing de Vrij’s services in the summer transfer window.
They will be offered considerable encouragement by Calciomercato reporting that the Dutchman has failed to reach an agreement with Lazio over the extension of his contract. However, Calciomercato also note that the Blues will face competition from Inter Milan in the race to sign him.