Saints midfielder Romeo Lavia has been attracting a lot of attention and three of the biggest clubs in the Premier League are currently interested in signing the youngster.
Southampton signed Lavia from Manchester City in a deal of around £14 million just last year and even though the Saints had a terrible season, the 19-year-old was one of the bright sparks in their squad this season.
He had signed a five-year deal with the St Mary’s club and with so much attention, the defensive midfielder could be sold this summer but only if Arsenal, Liverpool or Liverpool are ready to pay £50 million for him.
Sky Sports reporter Florian Plettenberg has confirmed that the three top Premier League clubs have held talks with the player’s agent and even Barcelona are interested in him.
He has confirmed: “Romeo Lavia, there are still concrete talks with Chelsea, Arsenal, especially with Liverpool as Klopp is a big fan!
“Been told that his price tag is around £50m this summer! Confirmed: Barcelona was targeting the 19 y/o, but his price is not affordable for Barca this summer.”
Is Romeo Lavia worth a £50 million valuation?
The Saints very well understand how valuable Romeo Lavia is which is why they are trying to bag a massive transfer fee for the 19-year-old.
Another reason why Southampton is quoting such a steep price is because his contract has a 20% sell-on towards Manchester City so whatever they get for Lavia, 20% of it will go to City.
Arsenal is just spent more than £100 million on Declan Rice so they will be a bit hesitant to pay £50 million for the youngster but Chelsea and Liverpool will be more than willing to pay up.
Liverpool is considered the favourites to sign at this point in time and perhaps they are the ones who urgently need a traditional number six.
At just 19, Romeo Lavia will be a really expensive buy but with the performances he has given this season, Lavia is a superstar of the future.
He’s a proper defensive midfielder who very tactfully breaks up counterattacks and at the same time, he has a great range of passing. He had a passing accuracy of 86.2% in the Premier League this season and along with someone like Alexis Mac Allister, Lavia can once again help revive Liverpool’s midfield.
Due to relegation, Southampton are going to lose several of their first-team players but Lavia’s contract expires in 2027 so the Saints are in no hurry to cash in on him. Even if the interested clubs refuse to pay such a big transfer fee the Championship club can easily hold him for one more season and then try and sell him next year.
Joining Arsenal, Liverpool or even Chelsea will be a step up for the youngster but we have to keep in mind that he was in Manchester City’s youth system and only joined the Saints because he wanted regular playing time. This factor will play a big part in his transfer this summer because if a club cannot guarantee him regular starts next season, there’s a high chance that side is going to miss out.
