Chelsea could reportedly make their own bid to sign Romeo Lavia, with Liverpool having an offer rejected by Southampton this week for the midfielder.
According to Sky Sports News journalist Dharmesh Sheth, the Blues are keen on the former Manchester City midfielder, with Chelsea making a bid for Lavia last summer mere weeks after the teenager joined Southampton.
With Mauricio Pochettino’s side struggling to strike a deal with Brighton & Hove Albion this window for Moises Caicedo, Lavia could be lined up as an alternative, much to Liverpool’s dismay.
Whilst Liverpool remain the favourites for the Southampton man, Chelsea’s ability to blow any team out of the water will now hang over any upcoming talks with the Saints for the Belgian international.
Indeed, Liverpool could face a major problem now in their pursuit for Lavia, with Sheth saying: “We understand that Chelsea are very keen on Romeo Lavia.
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“They haven’t gone all-out with the bidding process yet. Liverpool have made their intentions clear by bidding for Romeo Lavia. We expect at some point Chelsea to formalise their interest in Lavia by maybe going in with a bid for the Southampton midfielder.”
Liverpool can’t allow Chelsea to win Lavia race
Lavia has been Liverpool’s main midfield target for the best part of a month, and the Reds can’t allow Chelsea and their newfound interest to take hold of this transfer saga.
The Blues will stop at nothing to land a player they want, and with Caicedo looking unlikely, Lavia could now become a top target for Chelsea in the weeks to come.
As a result, Liverpool have to ensure they secure Lavia’s signature as quickly as possible, which could mean bowing down to Southampton’s demands for the 19-year-old talent.