Liverpool could be set for further frustration in their pursuit of Romeo Lavia, with Southampton appearing to raise their asking price in the wake of increased interest in the player.
The Reds have already seen bids of £37m and £41m rejected, with the Saints having been holding out for £50m, and there could soon be an even bigger gap for the Anfield club to try and bridge.
According to the Daily Record, the south coast outfit are now ‘confident of achieving a fee in excess of £60m for Lavia amidst competing interest from Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United’.
Prior to the second bid being tabled yesterday, there seemed to be plenty of optimism that Liverpool would conjure up the few extra million to sign Lavia.
However, with that follow-up offer being promptly dismissed by Southampton, and the 19-year-old’s valuation now potentially rising by 20% as his club move the goalposts, the narrative now looks rather different.
There was a school of thought that the Saints were holding out for a sizeable fee in the hope of a bidding war ensuing, and they now seem to have one with as many as four clubs reportedly interested in the teenager.
That Liverpool have also turned their attention to Andre Trindade of Fluminense, who could be available for a comparatively meagre £21.6m, indicates that they’re now thinking beyond Lavia and prepared to have a Plan B if the Belgian simply proves too expensive.
It’s been a very frustrating 24 hours for the Reds in their pursuit of the Southampton midfielder, and if the Championship outfit are now going to demand £60m for him, we’ll soon discover just how much Jurgen Klopp wants him at Anfield, depending on how much our next offer will be (if there is one).
#Ep83 of The Empire of the Kop Podcast: EOTK Insider with Neil Jones
There will come a time when Southampton will want to do business with us and they are busy burning bridges.
The LOVE of money is the root of all evil. This will come to bite them in the a&$e.
Move on.
This is bullsh*t. The Soton management is totally stupid. You want 60m for the kid and I believe there is no one who wants to pay at that price. LFC please leave and sign someone who is value for your money.
Clyne, Lallana, Mane, we’ve had a rich history of business with Southampton.
Looks like he will be an excellent player, but so many who do at that age fail to push on. Feels a big risk at around £40m, never mind £60m. At that sort of level I would have thought you are getting close to money that might tempt Bayern for Kimmich or Madrid for Tchouameni if they could be sold the LFC dream.
Just tell Southampton to fuck off and let them have a player who dont want to be there
It’s time to close the book on this case as they don’t really know what they want for him. It’s obvious they want a bidding was but Liverpool should have no part in it. He’s a 19 year old and not really proven anything other then he was part of a Southampton team who were relegated.
maybe they just don’t want to sell him and that’s why they are moving the goalposts.
All this speculation and rumours about our players is tapping up.
I have even seen a mock-up picture of Lavia in a Liverpool top posted by a Liverpool fan.
And a free Nathan Tella video published on tik tok by the chairman of Burnley FC.
We only got relegated we did not die and are players are contractually ours until we release them from our contract.
In any walk of life that is true when talking about contracts between two parties.
Could get Sofyan Amrabat for £40m & piss right on United’s Cornflakes.
This is the season for silly rumours and lazy journalism. But if it’s true then we should move on…good player, a young version of Wijnaldom(spelling) but…if the price keeps changing then forget it.
He isn’t worth the time or money. He hasn’t proven himself over a period of time that’s why man city let him go. I think we need to pull out of the deal allow a year to go by see if they even get promoted. And let man city come for him for 40mil and see if it was worth it.i really doubt man city will buy him back . The other rumours of clubs wanting him is just rumours to Jack the price up for sit on to make a bigger profit. Leave him and invest in a solid youngster like verreti or Andre someone who wants to play for the reds.
Let them be, just move on.
All v good comments. Bottom line it would be a dream for any player to play for the reds. He should already have demanded his exit to play. He hasn’t forget him he’s not worthy of being a red.