Liverpool ‘preparing opening offer’ for £50 million Chelsea and Arsenal target

Liverpool are reportedly ‘preparing an opening offer’ for Romeo Lavia.

It is suggested by talkSPORT that the Reds have set their sights on the Southampton midfielder after swooping for Dominik Szoboszlai. The 22-year-old arrived from RB Leipzig on Sunday for a fee of £60.1 million after the release clause in his contract was met.

Jurgen Klopp’s side have also recruited Alexis Mac Allister from Brighton, who cost £35 million, in the summer transfer window. But with a midfield rebuild paramount after a disappointing fifth-place finish in the Premier League last season, coupled with the departures of James Milner, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Liverpool’s spending may not yet be over.

Lavia has been linked with a move to Anfield for several weeks. The 19-year-old joined Southampton from Manchester City last summer and made a total of 33 appearances in the 2022-23 campaign.

But with the Saints being relegated from the top flight, Lavia is expected to depart the club. And it is said that Liverpool are aiming to prise the Belgium international to Anfield.

However, a price tag of £50 million is reported to have been slapped on Lavia’s head. Southampton purchased the teenager for up to £14 million only 12 months ago.