Everton and Chelsea are set to lock horns in the battle to secure the services of , according to reports from the Express.

Everton have clearly enjoyed a marked improvement under manager Ronald Koeman during the current campaign and the Toffees still stand an outside chance of earning a top four finish this season.

However, this is not to say that Everton have not shown weaknesses and their propensity to concede goals will certainly be something that will bother Koeman.

With Phil Jagielka also looking very likely to be leaving Goodison Park, Koeman will surely look to bolster his backline by bringing in a couple of new faces this summer and now according to reports, claims have been made that the Dutchman is eyeing up a move for Lazio star Stefan de Vrij.

De Vrij has established himself as one of the best defenders in Europe since arriving to Lazio back in 2017 and the 25-year-old is widely expected to be courted by a host of clubs throughout the upcoming summer.

Koeman will know all about de Vrij’s qualities as he worked closely with the centre back during their time together at Feyenoord and the Everton boss is said to be planning a reunion at Goodison Park with his protégé, by offering around £30 million for his services.

Everton are clearly not the only ones interested in signing de Vrij though and it is believed that Chelsea will also look to give the Toffees tough competition in the race to sign the Dutch international, as the Blues look to find a long term replacement for John Terry.