Fabrizio Romano names Liverpool alternative to Romeo Lavia

Tom Weber

• 12 Jul 2023 12:57 BST
• 3 min read

Fabrizio Romano has given an update on Liverpool's Romeo Lavia pursuit and named the player he believes the Reds should be targeting instead.

Jurgen Klopp and company have already brought in two new midfielders in Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai for a combined outlay of €112 million, yet the feeling at Liverpool is that another player should be added to further reinforce the centre of the park.

As we have been reporting, the Reds have been eyeing the likes of Nice's Khephren Thuram, Borussia Monchengladbach's Manu Kone and Southampton's Romeo Lavia. The latter's name has in recent times been heavily linked with a switch from relegated Southampton to Merseyside.

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But Fabrizio Romano claims that a deal won't be struck anytime soon, confirming our reporting that Liverpool are prepared to play the long game.

Lavia 'not imminent'

"Romeo Lavia - at the moment this is still not something imminent. Liverpool are discussing internally about Lavia, [but] no official bid has been submitted yet. And also no decision has been made on the price," the transfer expert is quoted as saying by CaughtOffside.

"So," he continued, "Lavia remains on the Reds’ list, and, honestly, I think Lavia would be a fantastic signing. He’s a top talent, it’s not easy to find that kind of player on the market, so I don’t know if they have alternatives at this stage."

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"Personally, a player I like in midfield is Manuel Locatelli but he’s an important player for Juventus, so not necessarily a realistic or easier option for Liverpool or anyone else."

Locatelli is six years Lavia's senior and worth at least €40.3m according to our Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) algorithm. 19-year-old Lavia clocks in at €20.3m, but Southampton are believed to want as much as €59m, a fee that Reds would try to negotiate down given that they have already spent a sizeable amount this window.