Liverpool have fired their opening salvo to the tune of £37m for Southampton’s Romeo Lavia – though the bid has been rejected.
This comes courtesy of David Ornstein at The Athletic, with the reliable journalist noting that Chelsea had previously failed to prise the Belgian away from the South Coast with a £50m bid last September.
With the club now plying its trade in the Championship and the player very clearly at a standard above the rest in the second-tier of English football, however, the landscape has shifted considerably.
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Liverpool will ultimately be quite calm in the situation having already secured personal terms with the player, if Sacha Tavolieri’s update on the matter is to be taken as gospel.
Assuming the midfielder remains keen on a switch to Jurgen Klopp’s outfit, it’s a position that will surely factor into negotiations on some level, even if only allowing us to negotiate a small discount on the £50m asking price the Saints have set.
We still think more business in the department, specifically the specialist No.6 role will be a must – depending on confirmation on Fabinho’s transfer future – to ensure we’re fully prepared for the rigours of a new season.
#Ep83 of The Empire of the Kop Podcast: EOTK Insider with Neil Jones