Liverpool’s reported pursuit of Romeo Lavia could hinge on whether or not a Premier League rival can offload one of their current midfielders, according to Fabrizio Romano.
The Southampton gem has been strongly linked with the Reds in recent days, with talkSPORT claiming that the Merseyside club are preparing an opening offer for the 19-year-old.
Arsenal have also been mentioned as prospective suitors for the Belgian teenager (The Times), although their chances of a move for him could depend on the outcome of their efforts to sell Thomas Partey, who they’re ‘trying to move’ to Saudi Arabia, according to Graeme Bailey for TEAMtalk.
Speaking to the DeBrief podcast (via CaughtOffside), reliable transfer reporter Romano said in relation to Liverpool’s links with the Saints midfielder: “It’s not time for a bid yet, […] but they are well informed on Romeo Lavia. They know also Arsenal are there but for Arsenal, it depends on Thomas Partey.
“They are working on this potential exit of Partey but it’s not that easy. Arsenal will let Partey go in case they receive a good proposal, he’s not a player they want to sell for a normal, or cheap, fee. So this is an important point.”
Arsenal could see two defensive/central midfielders departing this summer, with Partey potentially joined in the departures lounge by Granit Xhaka, who’s reportedly close to joining Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen (The Athletic).
Should both exit the Emirates Stadium, that could theoretically give Lavia a greater chance of featuring regularly for Mikel Arteta’s side, although one of the prospective voids looks set to be filled by the impending acquisition of Declan Rice from West Ham (The Guardian).
Also, having only signed Jorginho from Chelsea earlier this year, it seems unlikely that he’d be reduced to a peripheral role for the coming season, so the Belgian youngster could still have strong competition for a place in the Gunners’ line-up.
Liverpool have already seen in recent days how events at a rival Premier League club could have a knock-on effect at Anfield, with Newcastle’s signing of Sandro Tonali leaving the Reds with a barrier-free path to signing Dominik Szoboszlai, as explained by Neil Jones.
When it comes to Lavia, plenty may still hinge on what happens with Partey at Arsenal, so the Ghanaian’s future could indirectly be of interest to those of a Merseyside persuasion.