Jamie Carragher has taken to social media to vent his annoyance at Liverpool’s failure to thus far meet Southampton’s asking price for Romeo Lavia, along with naming a player he feels they should consider as an alternative to the Belgian.
The Reds have today had a third bid – believed to be worth £46m – turned down by the south coast club, who are refusing to budge on their £50m asking price (The Athletic).
The ex-Anfield defender believes his former side should either meet the going rate for the 19-year-old or look elsewhere, suggesting Moises Caicedo as someone they should be considering.
Carragher posted: “This is embarrassing. Liverpool for years now have got deals done quickly with no fuss. If you don’t think he’s worth 50M move on, if you really want him pay it. Also not sure why LFC aren’t in for Caicedo, yes it’s a lot of money but Liverpool got big money for JH/Fab”.
This is embarrassing.
Liverpool for years now have got deals done quickly with no fuss.
If you don’t think he’s worth 50M move on, if you really want him pay it.
Also not sure why LFC aren’t in for Caicedo, yes it’s a lot of money but Liverpool got big money for JH/FAB 🤷♂️ https://t.co/nNP05udQP8— Jamie Carragher (@Carra23) August 7, 2023
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You can understand the 45-year-old’s frustration with his former club, with a sense that if they truly want Lavia at Anfield, they’d push the boat out to ensure the deal gets done rather than testing Southampton’s patience with a series of slowly increasing bids.
As Carragher points out, Liverpool have received just over £50m from selling Jordan Henderson and Fabinho, so it’s not as if the funds aren’t there for the Saints midfielder at least.
As for Caicedo, Brighton have rejected a Chelsea offer of £80m for him (The Athletic), which gives the Reds a fair indicator of how much they’d have to pay if they move for the Ecuadorian this month.
Of course LFC would probably like to get another midfielder in without breaking the bank, but the simple reality of the current market is that high-quality additions are going to cost a pretty penny.
If Liverpool are to make full sure they sign the players they feel are needed to get them back into the Champions League for next season, it may require them to be bolder in the market and let off the handbrake.
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I echo Jamie’s words in relation to the owners stingness pertaining to the backing of the acquisition of playing personnel. I think the best way is for Liverpool supporters protest against the owners. They do have the money from the sale of Fabinho and Henderson.They were not unaware that contracts of Chamberlain,Keira and Milner won’t be renewed. So they should have prepared for money in advance. They were aware that the whole chunk of LFC midfielders were aging given the way they played last season.They should have known the consequences of their stingness in the champions league in Ukraine.However they opted to keep a blind eye. Duplication is necessary to stress facts.
The player purchase prices have all gone up. That is obvious. Whether the Saudi influence is a reason who knows? If Man Utd can value someone like McTominay at £40 mil then the likes of Lavia at £50 mil doesn’t seem unreasonable. Necessity will require Liverpool to get the business done. It is just inconceivable for them to miss out on the top 4 again. Midfield has proved a problem for some time but the pre-season friendlies have shown there is work to be done in the defence department. Still, can’t wait. YNWA.