Liverpool are making Romeo Lavia a prime switch goal in midfield now, with the Reds ending their curiosity in Khephren Thuram as a result of arrival of Dominik Szoboszlai.
That’s in accordance with Neil Jones in his exclusive CaughtOffside column, who says that Liverpool finally ended up selecting Szoboszlai over Thuram for that quantity 8 position, with Lavia now being lined as much as play as a extra defensive quantity 6 position in Jurgen Klopp’s midfield.
Nonetheless, Jones additionally says he’s conscious that Arsenal plan to go fairly strongly for Lavia as soon as they finalise issues with Declan Rice this week, so there might be an enormous battle on for the Southampton midfielder.
Lavia shone within the Premier League final season, however he stays inexperienced on the highest stage and Jones is unconvinced Liverpool pays the Saints’ £50million asking worth for a participant with solely 36 membership video games underneath his belt in his complete profession to date.
“My understanding is that Khephren Thuram had been a precedence, however that’s modified now, with the Szoboszlai signing having a huge impact – whereas they’re totally different gamers, my understanding is that Thuram would’ve been introduced in to play an identical type of place to the Hungarian, in order that’s why Romeo Lavia is now the precedence,” Jones defined.
“Not like these two, the Southampton teen is extra of a real quantity 6 than a quantity 8, so it appears clear that Liverpool have gone for Szoboszlai over Thuram, even when the latter was somebody they checked out for an extended interval and held talks along with his representatives. There wasn’t ever any settlement with Good, so it could be that the general bundle with Szoboszlai, whether or not that’s issues like wages and even simply the truth that he presents one thing in a couple of totally different positions, made the distinction ultimately.
“By way of Lavia, I can affirm that there’s positively robust curiosity there, as has been effectively documented. It’s been a couple of months now that he’s been on Liverpool’s listing, however an enormous query might be with the payment Southampton ask for – some reviews are suggesting it might be round £50m, and I feel Liverpool will really feel that’s a bit excessive for a participant who’s 19 years of age and performed solely 36 video games in his skilled membership profession.
“Clearly there are different golf equipment as effectively, and Arsenal, as I perceive it, plan to go fairly strongly for Lavia as soon as they get Declan Rice over the road this week.
“It’s a tough deal for Liverpool, however there’s little doubt they need him, so it’ll simply come down as to if or not the proper monetary deal might be agreed with Southampton, and what different golf equipment need to do.
“Once more, it might find yourself being an enormous overhaul in that midfield if it’s three new gamers we find yourself seeing are available, and all younger gamers for large cash. It could be of venture in a method, particularly Lavia, as a result of we’ve solely seen one 12 months of him in Premier League soccer, however that’s the place Liverpool are in now – they allowed that space to go a bit sterile, and so it’s no shock that they’re now having to make large purchases to attempt to repair the errors they made in earlier summers.”
Might this be benefit Arsenal? It’s not that clear but, however Lavia could effectively even be effectively suggested to decide on the Emirates Stadium over Anfield this summer time as he’d get the prospect to play within the Champions League subsequent season.
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