Romeo Lavia for £50m is an absolute bargain - Liverpool must act now
The Reds' search for a new midfield has dominated headlines this summer, and they cannot afford to let the Southampton teen slip through their fingers
As soon as it became clear that Liverpool's 2022-23 season would have to be filed in the 'ones to forget' drawer, the Anfield faithful began dreaming of a midfield rebuild. It didn't get off to the best of starts, though, with the Reds giving up on long-anticipated saviour Jude Bellingham before the transfer window even opened.
Since then, though, the Reds have made two astute signings. First, they outmanoeuvred several of their Premier League rivals to sign Alexis Mac Allister from Brighton for a more-than reasonable £35 million ($45m). Dominik Szoboszlai followed him through the door not long after for £60m ($77.5m) from RB Leipzig.
However, with Naby Keita, James Milner and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain leaving at the end of last season, and with both Jordan Henderson and Fabinho closing in on moves to Saudi Arabia, Liverpool's regeneration in the middle of the park is not yet complete.
In recent times, Romeo Lavia has emerged as the final piece of the puzzle following a strong season for relegated Southampton. The Reds are negotiating frugally, though. After seeing an initial £37m ($48m) bid rejected, they crept their offer up to around the £45m ($58.2m) mark — still short of Southampton's £50m (£64.6m) asking price.
While Liverpool remain confident that they will get their man, they mustn't stickle too much. At first glance, Lavia's asking price might make your jaw hit the floor — Southampton were relegated last season after all. But he has already shown more than enough promise to suggest that £50m will represent a real bargain within a few short years.
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