Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia is 'prepared to leave' the Sky Bet Championship side this summer amid interest in his services from the Premier League, according to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano.
Which clubs are interested in signing Romeo Lavia?
According to The Telegraph, Liverpool are open to letting midfielder Thiago Alcantara leave the club this window as he has attracted interest from Saudi Arabia, which could potentially pave the way for the Reds to firm up their pursuit of Lavia.
The report states that any departure for Thiago this summer would increase the probability of Liverpool making a 'formal approach' to try and land Lavia; however, his £50 million price tag is said to be 'too prohibitive' to make a move at present and player sales would be needed to accumulate funds for the Reds before they could put an offer on the table.
90min have claimed that Manchester United are also keen on Lavia as Erik Ten Hag aims to add another midfielder to his squad following his successful capture of Mason Mount from Chelsea.
FootballTransfers detail that Arsenal and Chelsea are attracted towards Lavia this off-season, with the outlet indicating that the Belgium international would prefer to join the Gunners over other clubs chasing his signature.
Lavia joined Southampton from Manchester City back in 2022 and the Premier League champions have a £40 million buyback clause inserted into his current terms at St Mary's that will become active in 2024, as per Football Insider.
Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, transfer guru Romano believes that Lavia will leave Southampton this summer and return to the Premier League to seek a new opportunity to further his career.
Romano stated: “I think it’s going to be crucial to see who’s going to agree [a deal] with Southampton because the player is prepared to leave, he’s prepared to say yes, so it’s about the clubs now and Southampton.”
How good is Romeo Lavia and why is he attracting interest from elite clubs?
Lavia is a talented young midfielder that elite sides feel they can develop into a star of the future and he has already shown encouraging signs in his short time competing in senior football.
Last term, the 19-year-old gained plenty of minutes for Southampton, featuring 34 times in all competitions and notching one goal alongside a solitary assist in the process, as per Transfermarkt.
As per Sofascore, Lavia recorded an average match rating of 6.80/10 for his display in the Premier League last campaign despite Southampton's relegation to the Sky Bet Championship, showing a commendable level of maturity for his age in the engine room.
The Belgian youngster was also able to demonstrate his capacity to drive forward from the middle of the park and help his team in offensive passages of play, successfully racking up 41 shot-creating actions over the course of the season, according to FBRef.
Given that Southampton will be turning out in the English second tier in 2023/24, it is unlikely that Lavia would be willing to stick around and potentially stall his development, especially when some of the clubs keen to sign him have the opportunity to fight for major honours both domestically and on the continent.
It looks now that the question is where Lavia will end up this summer and it will be intriguing to see where he sees best fit to take his next step.