Liverpool have taken a big step towards finally ending their search for a defensive midfielder, having agreed a deal with Southampton for the signing of Chelsea target Romeo Lavia.
Liverpool have already brought in Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai this summer. But following the departures of Fabinho and Jordan Henderson to Saudi Arabia, Jurgen Klopp needs a new player who can sit just in front of the defence and protect the likes of Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate.
Liverpool have had three bids for Lavia rejected by Southampton, with the highest of those coming in at £45million. The Saints, meanwhile, have been holding out for £50m.
Liverpool’s hesitancy to meet that sum allowed Chelsea to thunder in with a £48m offer of their own. The Blues therefore put themselves in pole position for the Belgian.
Chelsea have also pushed Liverpool aside by reaching a £115m agreement with Brighton for fellow midfielder Moises Caicedo. That is despite Liverpool having a £110m proposal of their own accepted by the Seagulls.
But in some great news for Klopp, Liverpool have gotten some revenge on Chelsea. According to Jacob Steinberg of The Guardian, the Reds have struck an agreement with Southampton over Lavia’s move.
Liverpool have gone significantly above Lavia’s price tag in order to keep Chelsea at bay. Steinberg states that they have agreed a £60m deal with Southampton for the 19-year-old’s move to Anfield.
This is clearly great news for Liverpool as they have suffered multiple setbacks in their midfield hunt recently. However, the transfer is not finalised yet. Steinberg adds that Liverpool must now convince Lavia to reject Chelsea and sign for them by agreeing personal terms.
Romeo Lavia must now choose between Liverpool and Chelsea
It will be interesting to see which club Lavia decides to join. Chelsea have made a big push to sign him and he will attracted by the possibility of playing at Stamford Bridge.
Although, it is not guaranteed that Lavia will start regularly under Mauricio Pochettino due to Chelsea also landing Caicedo. This could push him into the arms of Liverpool, as he would become the first-choice defensive midfielder under Klopp.
