Liverpool have been boosted in their efforts to sign Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia this summer, with a report claiming the "doors are opening" for the move to take place.
Is Romeo Lavia a transfer target for Liverpool?
The Belgian saw his stock rise significantly last season, having joined Saints from Manchester City and made an immediate impression at the base of his side's midfield. While the south coast outfit ended up being relegated from the Premier League, finishing bottom of the table, he came away with his reputation enhanced, let alone in-tact.
A summer exit from St Mary's is now almost certainly on the cards for Lavia and he is reportedly wanted by some of the biggest teams in the country, including Arsenal and Chelsea. It is Liverpool who have emerged as arguably the favourites to sign him, however, with the Reds seeing him as a great option to bolster their midfield, especially with Fabinho and Jordan Henderson heading off to pastures new.
The 19-year-old is still at the Southampton for the time being, but it seems increasingly clear that the Merseysiders are working hard to get a deal over the line sooner rather than later. Now, a fresh update has emerged that sheds further light on the situation, as Liverpool look to complete some exciting transfer business.
What's the latest on Romeo Lavia to Liverpool?
According to Belgian newspaper La Derniere Huere [via Sport Witness], the "doors are opening" with regard to Lavia's move to Liverpool coming to fruition in the near future. The player himself is believed to be "on alert", as he waits for a significant update from his agent.
He is described as a "priority" target by the Reds, while a move to London is mentioned as being less likely at this point, suggesting Arsenal and Chelsea and lagging behind in the race to sign the Saints starlet.
Liverpool have the luxury of "time and patience" being on their side, according to the report, with plenty of the transfer window remaining and Southampton knowing they will likely have to offload key talent at some point this summer.
With each passing week, the more it looks as though Lavia is destined to head to Anfield before the 2023/24 season gets started, in what would be an eye-catching and long-term piece of business.
The teenager's ceiling looks extremely high, considering he has already stood out as a star man for a Premier League team, while City manager Pep Guardiola has said the following about him as a player:
"Really impressed with what Romeo is doing, we had and have an incredible opinion about him. We thought to keep him but we thought maybe he doesn’t get enough minutes like he’ll get in Southampton."
Lavia could help fill the void left in the No.6 by Fabinho, and Henderson to a lesser extent, but it is also important that another new arrival in that position also comes in, in order to ease the burden on him. Expecting a 19-year-old to boss Liverpool's midfield from the off is asking too much, and it is vital that he is given time to settle instead.
