According to reports by Catalan outlet Sport, via Sport Witness, Liverpool have been boosted in their pursuit of Lazio centre-back Stefan de Vrij after Barcelona pulled out of the race to sign him.

Sport, via Sport Witness, says that concerns over his injury record have put the La Liga giants off, which may leave Jurgen Klopp with a clear run at bringing the Dutchman to Anfield.

The Reds boss seems certain to target bringing in a new central defender during the January transfer window following some disappointing displays at the back already this term, and while he would like to get Virgil van Dijk from Southampton a move for his Netherlands teammate may be more realistic.

De Vrij only has six months left on his contract and will be free to talk to other clubs in the New Year, and even though reports in Italy have suggested that he is willing to sign a new deal if it includes a €25m (approximately £22m) release clause, that is still yet to happen.

Meanwhile, Tottenham Hotspur look unlikely to compete for the Premier League title for the third season running following a disappointing start to the campaign from a personal point of view, and Manchester City's incredible run of form.

However, they will face Juventus in the knockout stages of the Champions League and manager Mauricio Pochettino may be thinking about possible additions he could make in the New Year.

Rivalling Liverpool for de Vrij could certainly prove to be a shrewd move for the north London outfit.

Here are three reasons Tottenham should hijack the Merseyside outfit's bid to sign the defender…

Future centre-back options

If Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino intends to play three at the back in the future, then he may need to start thinking ahead to the future.

While Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld have been a brilliant partnership for Spurs over the course of the last two-and-a-half seasons, the former will be 31 in April while the latter is no closer to agreeing a deal to stay with the north London outfit.

Summer addition Davinson Sanchez is likely to a long-term fixture in the backline, but Pochettino may feel he is one centre-back short – especially if Alderweireld does end up leaving either next summer or in 2019.

Eric Dier is probably more suited to a defensive midfield role than a centre-back spot, and Spurs should certainly be keeping a close eye on the developments involving de Vrij over the course of the next few weeks.

His qualities

Soccer Football - Serie A - Roma vs Lazio - Stadio Olimpico, Rome, Italy - November 18, 2017   Roma's Edin Dzeko in action with Lazio’s Stefan de Vrij     REUTERS/Max Rossi

While his time at Lazio has sometimes been hampered by injury, de Vrij is currently enjoying his best spell of form in the starting XI.

The Netherlands international has made 19 appearances in all competitions for the Serie A outfit this term, and as well as his defensive capabilities he has shown the effect he can have at the other end of the pitch too with three goals.

According to Squawka, the 25-year-old has won 13 aerial duels and made 66 clearances and 35 interceptions in 15 Serie A outings this term.

His ability on the ball is there for all to see too – something that Pochettino will admire – and he currently has a pass accuracy of 93%, while he has shown how comfortable he is in possession and at beating his opponents after successfully completing all four of the take-ons he has attempted.

Price tag

Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy watches on

We all know that Tottenham like to get good value for money when they sign a new player, and whether de Vrij puts pen to paper on a new Lazio contract or not, he should be available for a fee well in Spurs' price range.

The 25-year-old will be free to talk to the north London outfit about a pre-contract agreement in January unless he agrees terms with the Serie A club before then, while they could make an offer to try and bring him to England in the New Year.

Even if he does sign a new deal that includes a release clause worth around £22m, that fee could prove to be a bargain for a club like Tottenham as they look to push on and try and win the Premier League in the future.

Do you agree, Spurs fans? Let us know below.