'Arsenal rivalled by Man Utd, Chelsea and Liverpool for wonderkid'

Stuart Telford

• 17 Jun 2023 16:22 BST
• 3 min read

Mikel Arteta's Arsenal are interested in signing Romeo Lavia from relegated Southampton, but they face fierce competition from their Premier League rivals.

Lavia was one of the few success stories at Southampton last season, the Belgian youngster showing composure way beyond his tender 19 years at the base of the Saints' midfield.

He was in the 96th percentile Premier League-wide for blocks among midfielders, but also completed at least one successful take-on per game on average.

READ: Five players who could leave Southampton including Man Utd and Liverpool targets

Arsenal are also closing on the signing of England midfielder Declan Rice from West Ham, but that won't stop Arteta from trying to further bolster his midfield with a player he is familiar with from their time together at Manchester City.

Lavia 'available on the cheap'

"Arsenal are considering a bid for Southampton wonderkid Romeo Lavia but face competition from Liverpool, Chelsea and Man United," report the Daily Mail. "Lavia… could be available on the cheap in the wake of Southampton's relegation."

Lavia joined Southampton from Man City last summer in a potential £14 million deal. The champions included a buy-back clause of £40m, but that only activates in 2024, given Arsenal et al a clear run at him this summer.

READ: Guardiola has 'INCREDIBLE OPINION' of Man Utd target

Lavia is valued at €22.9m (£19.6m) by FootballTransfers' in-house algorithm, so the Gunners can be optimistic of securing his signature for almost half the value of that clause.

Arsenal look set to miss out on Moises Caicedo from Brighton, with Chelsea now favourites to sign the Ecuadorean, but more than just Rice will be required as they look to mount another title challenge next season.

Long-time club servant and former captain Granit Xhaka is nearing a move to Bayer Leverkusen, while Thomas Partey's injury record and the fact Martin Odegaard would rather play further forward means that Arteta has to plan carefully.