Liverpool are hoping to sign Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia for less than £50m this summer, according to Fabrizio Romano.
Could Romeo Lavia join Liverpool?
The 19-year-old has emerged as one of the Reds' biggest midfield transfer targets in the summer window, having already acquired the services of Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai.
Lavia caught the eye throughout last season for Saints, producing mature performances while so many around him struggled, and he was ultimately powerless to do anything about them being relegated from the Premier League.
On the plus side for Liverpool, Southampton heading down to the Championship means key players are far likelier to move on, and it would be a huge surprise if Lavia was still at St Mary's come the beginning of the 2023/24 season.
While the Reds have failed to get their man so far, another update has emerged regarding their pursuit of him, as they continue to push hard for his signing.
What's the latest on Romeo Lavia to Liverpool?
Speaking to Caught Offside, Romano said that Liverpool's interest in Lavia is still "concrete" and that they are hoping to sign him for less than Southampton are demanding:
"Staying with Liverpool, they keep working on Romeo Lavia. Nothing is advanced in terms of bids or club to club negotiations – still, contacts are taking place with the player’s agents and they are trying to understand the final price tag. Southampton always wanted around £50m but Liverpool are hoping for a different fee. He’s not their only target, but he is a concrete one, and Liverpool are still there.
"Jurgen Klopp has hinted that things will happen before the end of the summer, and while it’s impossible to predict the exact number of signings, Liverpool will be busy for sure, it just depends on opportunities.
"Chelsea are also following the Lavia situation due to the connection with Joe Shields, one of the Chelsea directors, but it’s not linked to the Moises Caicedo deal. Caicedo remains the priority for Chelsea, but Shields had Lavia at Southampton and Manchester City, so he knows the player well and there is a good connection there."
This is a positive update for Liverpool fans to hear, should some have been concerned about the club's interest in Lavia going a little quieter of late, with the imminent exits of Fabinho and Jordan Henderson dominating the headlines.
It seems clear that the Reds want to bring the young Belgian in, possibly seeing him as someone who could fill the Fabinho-shaped void in the No.6 role, blossoming into a truly formidable over time. He is already a top talent who has shown that he can excel in the Premier League, but he should only get better as his all-round game becomes more polished.
It is imperative that Lavia isn't the only other midfielder brought in at Anfield this summer, however, with another defence-minded figure also required, in order to make the loss of two such experienced heads not to felt at all.
Crystal Palace's Cheick Doucoure could be perfect, in that respect, coming in as a more experienced alternative to Lavia, allowing the Saints starlet to develop at his own pace, having been hailed as "frankly ridiculous" by journalist Jacob Tanswell.