Tare: 'De Vrij is leaving Lazio'

By Football Italia staff

Lazio director Igli Tare announced they have “withdrawn” the contract renewal offer for Stefan de Vrij. “Our paths will divide in June.”

The defender’s current deal is due to expire at the end of the season and negotiations for an extension have been dragging on for months.

This week reports emerged that the Dutch international was looking elsewhere, particularly towards Inter, and it seems as if the Aquile have run out of patience.

“Lazio have withdrawn the proposal we made for a new contract to De Vrij,” director of sport Tare told Mediaset Premium ahead of tonight’s Serie A match with Verona.

“We are withdrawing for reasons that we will explain later on. It was a choice made after many months of negotiations, but there is also a limit to how things went.

“He has been an exemplary professional and we thank him for that as well as what he’ll do until the end of the season. He gave a lot to the club, just as we gave a great deal to him, but our paths will divide in June.

“It’s a matter of fairness. This is not the opportune time to give the reasons for this decision, but we had to give a response and we gave it this evening.

“It is better to look forward, as Lazio are a side who have grown in recent years and will continue to grow, because we certainly do not lack players.”

Lazio had turned down offers in the region of €12m for De Vrij last summer and during the January transfer window.

He will now be able to leave at the end of the season as a free agent with numerous clubs interested, including Manchester City, Manchester United, Juventus, Inter and Liverpool.

“It’s not an issue of him agreeing terms with other clubs, but of being fair in negotiations. We did things the right way, but things changed at the last moment.

“We no longer wish to continue along this path.”

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