The most consistent name in the transfer mill for Liverpool is Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia, and it remains that way with talks reportedly “ongoing.”
The 19-year-old has been subject to plenty of reports in recent weeks, with a move from the Saints expected after their relegation to the Championship.
Southampton boss Russell Martin is all but resigned to losing some of his key players but they are not to allow Lavia to leave without demanding a sizeable fee.
Sky Sports’ Melissa Reddy has reported that the south coast side are “confident” of securing £50 million for a player who has made only 29 Premier League appearances.
For Liverpool, the word has been that they will need to see a player make way before a third midfielder can arrive, with Thiago heading that list.
Now, Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg says talks “are concrete and ongoing” between the club and player’s representatives, once again emphasising the suitability of Lavia for Klopp.
Plettenberg adds that he “understands there is no agreement in terms of [a] salary,” which is not unusual at this stage of their interest.
The coming weeks will be interesting as Lavia will be eager to return to the top flight and will know he is not short on suitors, which could force Southampton‘s hands.
However, the Saints know that Man City have a buyback option of £40 million next summer and it gives them a strong position when it comes to any negotiations for their young star.
The noise is not growing any quieter when it comes to Liverpool and Lavia and it will be interesting to see if and how the club make a move amid interest in signing a left-sided centre-back as well this summer.
The rebuild has started positively with Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai but the consensus is more is needed from the Reds if this transfer window is to be deemed a resounding success.
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