The news of Jordan Henderson and Fabinho leaving the club has thrown Jurgen Klopp’s rebuilding plan out the window. The German must now find solutions to an even bigger squad overhaul than anticipated.
19-year-old Romeo Lavia has been linked to the Reds for weeks but it now seems Liverpool are set to get their target. An initial £37 million pound offer was rejected, per David Ornstein, whilst Fabrizio Romano has reported that a second offer of £42.5 million rising to £45 million is being readied.
The young Belgian endured a wonderful debut season for Southampton and the Premier League despite his team struggling and ultimately being relegated. He was the bright spark of the campaign and is now ready to move on to a bigger club.
On this week’s Expert Insight show, Dan Clubbe, spoke with Hampshire Live reporter, Mark Wyatt, on Lavia’s seemingly imminent transfer and his ability to be a star at Anfield.
All You Need To Know About Liverpool Transfer Target Romeo Lavia! | The Deep Dive
Mark said:
“Personally, I can see this deal getting done, maybe before next week’s Championship opener. I can see it going through and Saints have already got the replacement lined up. I think this is one that could happen.
“He is a fantastic player. However much you want to be across football and know every player in the world, I didn’t really know everything about him when he joined Southampton, to be honest. I was out in Austria for their pre-season and I interviewed him after their game against Leipzig, even at the age of 18 I could not believe how mature and confident he was. For a young who has moved over from Belgium to City and come down to Southampton.
“He is supremely confident in his ability and that comes across in his game. He plays in a position right in the middle of the action, he has incredible ball retention and wriggles out of spaces fantastically. He has those eye test things where you go to a game and watch a player do those things you take notice of. He really stood out in that regard. He has room for development and that’s the exciting thing and it’s clear that there is going to be a world-class player in there at some point if not the very near future.
“I don’t think he is a straight swap for Fabinho. In Southampton, he plays in a double pivot a lot. Occasionally he will be on his own in the six but I would like to see him push forward into the eight because sometimes you do get lost in needing a physical body in there. You do want someone with a bit of technical ability who can play in that eight, maybe even working with Alexis Mac Alister.
“That Liverpool moment was so surprising, before then you would never have seen it coming. One thing that sets Romeo Lavia apart from players around his age is his consistency. A lot of Southampton players didn’t play well last season but Lavia played well all the time and made him look better. I don’t know how he would step up in terms of the pressure, the environment of playing at Liverpool; big club, big transfer fee. It would be a different kind of pressure than playing for a side just trying to escape relegation. In terms of his consistency, he was an 8 out of 10 week in week out.”
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Redmen Reacts
The ex-Manchester City academy player certainly has the potential to be world-class. Pep Guardiola inserting a buy-back clause on the youngster is proof of his raw talent and exciting future career. He is a specialist centre defensive midfield which is something LFC desperately need with Fabinho leaving.
Overall, it would be a fantastic signing but Liverpool must also get a more experienced midfielder in to help guide Lavia and Stefan Bajcetic. To put that pressure on an 18 and 19-year-old is a big gamble and could derail their development.
