Newcastle United have decided not to prioritise a move for Liverpool target Romeo Lavia this summer.
The Magpies are set to do business with Southampton, The Athletic reporting that the two clubs are in talks over right-back Tino Livramento.
However, it’s claimed that although there is interest in Livramento’s Saints teammate Lavia, he is not a ‘primary target.’
Cost is said to be the main reason for Newcastle’s reluctance to target the 19-year-old. A £50m fee has been mooted previously, and this is perhaps a little too much for Eddie Howe to pay.
But as well as the price of getting Lavia out of St Mary’s, the interest in him from Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea is also said to be a factor.
Newcastle not targeting Lavia
As Newcastle move away from a possible deal for Lavia, it could be both good and bad news for Liverpool.
Despite being on the verge of signing Sandro Tonali, it seems that Howe and co are intent on bringing in another midfielder. It seemingly won’t be Lavia, but it could well still be Khephren Thuram.
The Frenchman has been reported as the most likely candidate to be Liverpool’s second summer signing of the window. But Newcastle have also been heavily linked with the 22-year-old.
With Lavia’s name crossed off the list, perhaps they’ll focus their efforts on getting Thuram to St James’ Park instead.
From a Liverpool standpoint, Fabrizio Romano confirmed yesterday that Jurgen Klopp will actually try and sign both players. That’s good news.
But clearly, they won’t go unopposed. Instead of Newcastle, Arsenal seem like the side most likely to fight Liverpool for Lavia. According to the latest reports though, the Reds are now leading the race for Lavia, with Arsenal focused on Declan Rice.
So, it looks like they may have potentially seen off Newcastle this time. Nevertheless, the presence of the Magpies in these kinds of transfers is something we’re going to have to get used to.
Receive a digest of our best Liverpool content each week direct to your mailbox
