Could Villa's Ron Vlaar be headed to Lazio?

I was a bit shocked this morning when I noticed a headline on NewsNow linking Ron Vlaar to Lazio. We've heard Southampton, QPR, and Manchester United, but Lazio were a new name in the mix. And even though I was dubious, I clicked over to the Forza Italian Football story. The good news: you shouldn't be worried about Ron Vlaar headed to Lazio. Here's the money quote:

LaLazioSiamoNoi report that Lazio have made a late charge as they look to reunite Vlaar with his international teammate in Stefan De Vrij, who just completed a move to the Aquile from Feyenoord.

Well hey, that sounds interesting. But ever the mistrusting reader, I decided to trace this back to its source. Here's a hint: you should always do that. Especially when it comes to transfer stories, as so many of them are just made up entirely. When you actually get the chance to source something, jump on it.

When I got to La Lazio Siamo Noi, I found an article that said absolutely nothing about Lazio making a charge for Vlaar. Instead it says, roughly, that "Lazio are in search of the perfect defensive pair. Stefan De Vrij is the first step and Ron Vlaar could be the second. He spoke to a Dutch website about his future." In those comments, there is absolutely no mention of Lazio whatsoever.

It seems to be a piece that is saying, "Hey, Vlaar would be good here!" And there is absolutely no problem with that from a fan site. In fact, we've done some of that on our own. In this case, there isn't much supporting material (any reasons why Vlaar could help Lazio) but that's the business of La Lazio Siamo Noi. The problem comes when other sites pick up on an innocuous story and try to make a link out of it.

So no, there isn't a link between Vlaar and Lazio. That doesn't mean that one won't occur, but there's nothing now. It's just another reminder to take nearly every rumour you see with a grain of salt. Transfer season is simultaneously the most fun and most annoying part of being a football fan.