‘Fantastic’ player will play in pre-season friendly tonight, despite reports Liverpool are pushing to sign him – journalist

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Romeo Lavia will play in Southampton’s pre-season fixture today despite holding talks over a move to Liverpool.

That’s according to journalist James Savundra, who revealed that the midfielder will definitely play as the Saints host Bournemouth at the St. Mary’s Stadium this evening.

The Reds have been heavily linked with a move for Lavia in recent weeks and journalist Sacha Tavolieri has now revealed that the Belgian has already agreed personal terms, while Liverpool are preparing an offer of around £35 million.

Southampton reportedly value Lavia at around £50m, meaning it is unlikely that they will accept a significantly lower offer from Liverpool.

However, Lavia has already been given the green light to join the Merseyside outfit and negotiations could advance in the coming days.

The teenager’s inclusion in Southampton’s pre-season friendly today suggests a deal is still far from completion, while Savundra has told Sky Sports News that it is still ‘business as usual’ for Russell Martin’s side.

With the Saints set to open their Championship season with a trip to Sheffield Wednesday next week, they may look to speed up the move to avoid unsettling the squad. However, it looks like the two clubs are already far apart in their valuation of the 19-year-old.

Romeo Lavia is exactly what Liverpool need, but they still need more

With Jordan Henderson and Fabinho heading for the exit door, Liverpool have been left with a threadbare midfield once again.

The Reds were very quickly linked with a growing list of potential replacements and Romeo Lavia was one of the names that supporters were pushing the club to sign – and it now looks like they may have gotten their wish.

Lavia was thrust into the limelight with Southampton last season and proved to be a brilliant addition despite their relegation, with Rio Ferdinand previously praising his ‘tremendous feet’. Though he will surely be disappointed if Lavia joins Manchester United’s fierce rivals.

While Lavia could be an excellent signing for the Reds, he definitely won’t be enough to strengthen the midfield.

Liverpool need to bring in some more experience and leadership to replace Henderson, Fabinho and James Milner, with Thiago set to be the only player over 24 years old in the middle of the park.