Liverpool do not want to be dragged into a bidding war with Chelsea or the Premier League elite over the signing of Romeo Lavia, sources have told Football Insider.
The Reds have had contact with Lavia’s representatives but competition for his signature could make a deal difficult.
It is believed that Jurgen Klopp’s side need guarantees that the 19-year-old only wants to join the Anfield club in order to pursue a deal this summer.
Lavia joined Southampton last summer (2022) from Man City, and his current deal there runs until 2027.
The midfielder’s buy-back clause for the Cityzens is worth £40 million and goes into effect in 2024, but Pep Guardiola’s team is rumored to be very eager to bring him back to the Etihad before then.
On June 6, Football Insider reported that Chelsea were planning to make another attempt to sign the midfielder, with the Saints wanting between £45 and £50 million to allow him to leave St. Mary’s despite their relegation to the Championship.
The Blues have already laid the groundwork for a potential summer deal whilst Liverpool have registered their interest in a deal.
New Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettnio is believed to be a huge fan of Lavia and has marked the midfielder as someone he would be keen to have in his squad.
Lavia made 35 appearances for the Saints across all competitions this season and scored once and provided one assist in those outings.
Presenter left shocked after hearing Liverpool transfer want- “It doesn’t make sense”
Trent Alexander-Arnold
Ste Hoare of RedMenTV believes Liverpool’s interest in acquiring a new right-back this summer is absurd.
After a disappointing season, the Premier League side has a number of different positions to address in the transfer window, but with Trent Alexander-Arnold at the club, recruiting another right-back is quite a confusing move for six-time Champions League winners.
What’s the latest Liverpool transfer news?
The Reds have been busy in the transfer market already, recently completing the signing of Brighton and Hove Albion’s Alexis Mac Allister, and they’ve been linked to several other midfielders, including Celta Vigo’s Gabri Veiga, but recent reports suggest that Jurgen Klopp’s side are also looking for a new right-back.
Roberto Firmino, James Milner, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain are several senior members of the club’s first team that are departing in the off-season, while the Reds are prepared to send Fabio Carvalho out on loan, so the club have several major holes to fill within the side, so adding a right-back, a position that’s seemingly secured by Alexander-Arnold doesn’t make sense to Hoare.
What has Ste Hoare stated regarding Trent Alexander-Arnold and Liverpool?
Hoare isn’t totally convinced by the report that the team is seeking for a new right-back unless the plans are for Klopp to put the defender into midfield.
The RedMenTV anchor told Football FanCast: “For me, adding a right-back just doesn’t make any sense at this point.
“Unless there’s some plan to put Trent in midfield, but I just don’t see where he fits playing in midfield. We’d have to play in a 4-2-3-1 or something like that which Jurgen doesn’t seem to want to do.
“So, for me, the links to a right-back don’t really make sense.”
Do Liverpool need to upgrade at right-back?
While a lot of questions have been asked about the 24-year-old’s defensive capabilities, and largely for good reason, only Ibrahima Konate has averaged more tackles and interceptions than Alexander-Arnold out of the Reds’ current defenders (minimum 15 league games played) and only Mohamed Salah had a better average rating that his 7.11 on WhoScored.
It is impossible to overstate the full-back’s contribution to the team given his additional 10 assists and four goals for the team in all competitions.
The signing of a right-back isn’t urgent and shouldn’t take precedence over the rest of Liverpool’s transfer business, as the midfield needs improvement and Firmino needs to be replaced. Additionally, unless Alexander-Arnold is moved into the middle of the field, it will be difficult for Liverpool to find a defender who offers more on both sides of the field.