According to Belgian journalist Sacha Tavolieri, Liverpool are ‘reasonably confident’ of signing Romeo Lavia and are expected to make an ‘improved bid’ for him.
On Tuesday, the Reds saw a £37m offer rejected by Southampton, who up to now have been holding out for £50m for the 19-year-old (The Athletic).
However, after football scout Jan Riha claimed that the Merseysiders might be able to get a deal done for less than £40m, Tavolieri also offered hope of the Saints accepting a lower asking price than their initial valuation.
He tweeted: “Sources on the Romeo #Lavia’s deal to #LiverpoolFC feels reasonably confident as the talks are ON and will continue during the week.
“#SouthamptonFC wants to get at least a fixed fee of 40M£ comparable to the buyback clause of Man City in 2024, what they would define as a good business. Five years contract ready. A 2nd improved bid expected.”
An ‘improved bid’ from Liverpool is likely to take them beyond the £40m mark, and if that second offer sees such a figure being offered straight rather than being reached through bonuses or instalments, that might just be enough to get Southampton around the negotiating table.
Tavolieri had also tweeted yesterday that ‘conversations are really open’ between the two sides, who are aiming to ‘find the right deal’, an update which suggests that the Saints could be persuaded into selling for the right price.
Not only could the Reds conceivably sign Lavia if their next offer is strong enough; they could also see him being able to learn from Fabinho, whose move to Al-Ittihad has been put in doubt due to delays in the process (The Athletic).
If Liverpool can land the Belgian youngster and keep hold of the Brazil international, that should leave their midfield looking reasonably well-stocked even with Jordan Henderson’s imminent exit to Al-Ettifaq.
After a two-week period which tested the nerves of many LFC fans, it’s now beginning to look like the pendulum may just be swinging back in our favour.
You can see Tavolieri’s tweet below, via @sachatavolieri on Twitter:
🔛🔴 Sources on the Romeo #Lavia’s deal to #LiverpoolFC feels reasonably confident as the talks are ON and will continue during the week. #SouthamptonFC wants to get at least a fixed fee of 40M£ comparable to the buyback clause of Man City in 2024, what they would define as a… pic.twitter.com/KHE67RihnH
— Sacha Tavolieri (@sachatavolieri) July 25, 2023
#Ep83 of The Empire of the Kop Podcast: EOTK Insider with Neil Jones