Arsenal to rival Liverpool for ‘ridiculous’ player after Declan Rice capture

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Arsenal will reportedly look to beat Liverpool to Romeo Lavia’s signature once Declan Rice has officially completed his move to the Gunners.

According to journalist Neil Jones, the north London side will look to make the Southampton midfielder their new transfer priority once Rice has been announced as a new Arsenal player, with Mikel Arteta also set to confirm the capture of Jurrien Timber from Ajax.

As per the report, Liverpool are very interested in signing Lavia as a long-term addition for the squad. However, problems have now emerged over the Reds’ approach for the Belgian, namely over Southampton’s £50m asking price.

With Lavia only playing one season of professional football, Liverpool are reluctant to spend so much on a 19-year-old with so few Premier League appearances. And as a result, Arsenal could now be in a position to overtake the Reds for the midfielder.

Indeed, although Arsenal will have to make sales of their own if they’re to launch a bid for Lavia, this update is the last thing Liverpool would have wanted to hear, especially with the Anfield side pushing hard to recoup funds to make their own offer for the Southampton wonderkid.

Liverpool will have to bite the bullet and make bid to sign Lavia

Praised by Total Football Analysis as a ‘ridiculous’ talent, Lavia is shaping up to be the final piece of the puzzle for Liverpool this window. Yet with Arsenal preparing their move, the Merseyside giants have to go all out and do all they can to sign the Southampton wonderkid.

As we know, Lavia could star for Liverpool for the next ten years if the midfielder continues to develop at his current pace. And losing out on the youngster to a rival in Arsenal would be a killer blow for Klopp, who could get the best out of the teenager.