Southampton have rejected Liverpool’s £37m bid for highly-rated young midfielder Romeo Lavia, according to a new update from reliable journalist David Ornstein.
The 19-year-old has been constantly linked with a move to Anfield this summer, with a transformation in the middle of the park occurring at Anfield.
Lavia shone for Saints last season, despite their relegation from the Premier League, and he showed great maturity sitting in front of the back four.
With the south coast side now in the Championship, however, the Belgium international wants a new challenge, with Liverpool battling with the likes of Arsenal and Chelsea for his signature.
Taking to Twitter on Tuesday, The Athletic‘s Ornstein claimed that Southampton has turned down the Reds’ opening bid for Lavia, demanding more for his services:
“Southampton have turned down opening offer from Liverpool for Romeo Lavia. LFC proposal – thought to be worth around £37m – rejected by Saints FC as they seek fee in region of £50m. Personal terms for 19yo Belgium midfielder not an issue.”
Our thoughts on the latest Lavia to Liverpool situation…
While Liverpool’s offer may have been rejected, this is a positive update overall, suggesting that they definitely want to sign Lavia this summer.
It may be that the Merseysiders end up having to pay a little over the odds for the midfielder, but in the current climate, that is to be expected, given the money Arsenal paid for Declan Rice, for example.
Lavia was reportedly a disinterested figure in Southampton’s pre-season clash with Bournemouth on Tuesday evening, being substituted at half-time, which suggests he is desperate to move to Liverpool.
At this point, it would be a big surprise if the Reds didn’t up their offer and Saints didn’t eventually accept, realising that those funds could go towards new signings to aid their Championship promotion, getting an unhappy player off their wage bill at the same time.
Lavia would be such an exciting addition for Liverpool, considering he has been lauded by both Pep Guardiola and Kevin De Bruyne in the past, and he could be viewed as the long-term starter in the No.6 role.
