Southampton are understood to be holding out for £50m for Romeo Lavia; one source has told Sky Sports News that Chelsea are also interested and keeping an eye on the 19-year-old's situation; Lavia has four years left on his Southampton contract after joining from Man City last summer
Wednesday 26 July 2023 22:24, UK
Liverpool are expected to go back in with an improved offer for Romeo Lavia after having a bid worth £40m rejected for the midfielder by Southampton.
The Saints are understood to be holding out for £50m for the 19-year-old.
Chelsea are also interested and keeping an eye on his situation.
The Blues have not made an official bid yet, but Sky Sports News understands personal terms with both Liverpool and Chelsea are not expected to be a problem.
Lavia, who played 45 minutes of Southampton's pre-season friendly defeat to Bournemouth last night, has four years left on his contract.
The Belgium international joined from Manchester City last summer, but is expected to leave after Saints were relegated from the Premier League at the end of last season.
Jurgen Klopp has already brought in two new midfielders this summer after the arrivals of Alexis Mac Allister from Brighton in a £35m deal, followed by that of Dominik Szoboszlai from RB Leipzig for £60m.
Those new signings have replaced departing midfielders James Milner, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Naby Keita, while captain Jordan Henderson and Brazil international Fabinho could also leave Anfield this summer.
Both Henderson and Fabinho are in the process of securing moves to Saudi Arabia.
Liverpool have agreed a £15m deal with Steven Gerrard's Al Ettifaq for Henderson while Fabinho has been given permission to speak to Al Ittihad after the Merseyside club accepted a £40m offer for him.
Sky Sports' Peter Smith:
"Landing Romeo Lavia would complete Liverpool's midfield overhaul, with the Belgian forming a new-look box with fellow summer signings Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister, alongside Trent Alexander-Arnold, who looks certain to step out of defence.
"With Jordan Henderson, James Milner, Naby Keita, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and potentially Fabinho and Thiago Alcantara heading out of the club, it is a huge shake-up. But investment in midfield has been a long time coming at Liverpool and problems in that area of the pitch contributed significantly to their struggles last season.
"Expect anchor Lavia to play a prominent role in this coming campaign but at 19 years old he is undoubtedly set for a bright future. He led the way among under-21 players for tackles, interceptions and blocked shots in 2022/23 but also has the on-ball skills required to play at the top end of the Premier League.
"A captain through the youth levels and now a Belgium international, Lavia ticks all the boxes for Liverpool - someone who can have a transformative impact now but also go on to become a key component for the Reds in years to come. The new era has arrived."
Jordan Henderson has said goodbye to his Liverpool team-mates, and should be confirmed as an Al Ettifaq player by the end of the week.
Henderson's controversial transfer to Saudi Arabia's Pro League comes with a fee worth around £13m, and will bring his 12-year Anfield career to an end. He has won seven major trophies in that time.
The Liverpool captain sought clarity from Jurgen Klopp over how much game time he would get with the Reds next season, before making his decision to leave.
After joining the Liverpool squad for their pre-season training camp in Germany, Henderson was left out of the opening friendly against Karlsruher last week, and said farewell to his team-mates before returning home to undergo a medical and finalise the move.
The final legal details of his lucrative new Al Ettifaq contract are expected to be completed in the next 24 hours.
The Saudi Pro League side, now managed by Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard, are so determined to land the England international they have proposed more than tripling his £200,000-a-week salary.
Who will be on the move this summer when the transfer window opens on June 14 and closes at 11pm on September 1 in England and midnight in Scotland?
Keep up to date with all the latest transfer news and rumours in our dedicated Transfer Centre blog on Sky Sports' digital platforms. You can also catch up with the ins, outs and analysis on Sky Sports News.