The apparent collapse of a proposed move for Virgil van Dijk has seen Liverpool turn their attentions towards defender Stefan de Vrij.
Liverpool reportedly had a £17.2million bid for the Lazio man turned down earlier in the week with Jurgen Klopp seemingly prioritising strengthening the spine of his team.
De Vrij has since rejected a contract renewal with the Italian side and will continue to do so as he looks to force a move away, according to Corriere dello Sport, as translated by the Liverpool Echo.
The centre-back’s current employers appear to value him at £30m, which seems a risky fee for a player that has been plagued by injuries over the past three years. A lower offer could yet still be accepted, though, with Lazio keen to avoid losing the player for free when his contract expires next summer.
Though alternatives to Van Dijk are continuing to be identified, there remains a quiet belief that a deal for the Southampton man may still be possible with the Dutchman supposedly intent on leaving.
All eyes, for now, will undoubtedly be on whether Liverpool can finalise a deal for Roma winger Mohamed Salah with agreeing a fee posing as the key issue.
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