According to Ben Jacobs, Liverpool have a ‘genuine’ interest on Romeo Lavia this summer and the player would be ‘open’ to joining the Reds, but they’d need Southampton to cede ground on their asking price.
As reported by Football Insider, the Saints are demanding £50m for the 19-year-old, for whom the Merseyside club are prepared to pay £40m, with neither side wavering from their respective stance for the time being.
However, speaking to CaughtOffside’s Substack, the journalist believes the Championship club are holding firm on their valuation in the hope that other apparent suitors like Arsenal and Chelsea will provide strong enough competition to spark a bidding war for the player.
Jacobs said: “Liverpool will likely add another midfielder and Romeo Lavia is quite high on the list of options. Lavia would be keen on the move, but price is currently a stumbling block. Southampton want £50m for Lavia and Liverpool don’t see him as being worth anywhere near that much.
“Liverpool view Lavia’s £40m buyback clause – active in 2024 for Manchester City only – as a kind of top-end yardstick for valuation. Given Southampton have been relegated, and Lavia is open to a move, it wouldn’t surprise me if starting offers, should they arrive, were more around the low or mid-£30m mark.
“It’s fair to say Liverpool’s interest is genuine, but there has been no offer yet and there won’t be unless Southampton drop their price. Liverpool generally only move on their terms and timescale.
“The recruitment team at Anfield are extremely smart and read the market well. That’s why I think Liverpool are in for an extremely productive window.”
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Jacobs’ comments further underline Liverpool’s need to either come up to Southampton’s asking price or hope for the Saints to lower it at their end, with Neil Jones voicing similar views to Empire of the Kop in recent days.
Given the length of time for which the links with Lavia have now been running, it’s no surprise that the Reds have a ‘genuine’ desire to try and sign the midfielder, and they’ll take encouragement from his reported openness to swapping St Mary’s for Anfield.
It’s just a matter of whether the Merseysiders will lose patience and attempt an opening offer which they hope might at least pique the south coast club’s interest, or whether the Championship outfit might blink first and show a willingness to come down on their £50m valuation.
With the two sides seemingly at an impasse, this transfer rumour could continue to circulate for another few weeks yet, but hopefully Liverpool might be able to break some ground before long, either through their own making or through Southampton softening their stance slightly.
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Release clauses are not used as a yardstick to measure anything. It is in place as an excessive valuation to deter potential buyers. The youngsters at Barca, Gabri, I think has a relapse clause of half a billion euros, which means nothing in the real world.