Manchester City have no plans to sign Romeo Lavia from Southampton, as Liverpool continue to monitor him.
That’s according to The Times, who claims that City are not looking to bring Lavia back to the Etihad. Liverpool, on the other hand, are said to be ‘monitoring the situation’ of the 19-year-old.
With Southampton now relegated from the Premier League, they are reportedly bracing themselves for bids to arrive for their top players. In Lavia’s case, he’s claimed to be thought of as the biggest asset of all, and will reportedly command a £40m price-tag.
Should any offer arrive for the Belgian, it’s claimed that City will in fact have a first refusal option. Basically, the Premier League champions can match any offer made, in effect giving them the option of ‘scuppering’ a rival bidder.
As things stand, The Times report that the most likely two bidders are Liverpool and Chelsea. Thankfully though, it’s claimed that Pep Guardiola has no plans to exercise his clause.
Liverpool pondering Lavia move
As Liverpool ponder what to do in the market, Lavia is an interesting option. Even at £40m, he’s potentially on the cheaper side of what the Reds are currently looking at.
There is a reason for that, though. Still a teenager, it would be a big ask to expect the Belgium international to walk straight into Liverpool’s midfield.
Lavia has shown promise at Southampton, but he’s also set to finish bottom of the Premier League table with them. In amongst flashes of brilliance, there maybe hasn’t been quite enough to justify this signing.
Still, if he can be brought in as the third, complementary player, then that would be exciting.
Already capped by a good Belgium team, Lavia obviously has a high ceiling. If Liverpool can get him in and nurture him properly, he could be a ready-made Fabinho replacement in a couple of years.
With Man City seemingly out of the way and Southampton potentially unable to keep hold of him, it could be an opportunity that only comes once.