Despite rumors claiming that Romeo Lavia must depart before Liverpool can move to sign a third midfielder, it appears that the Reds haven’t given up on trying to get him this summer.
This information is provided via a tweet from Florian Plettenberg of Sky Germany, who claims that although negotiations between the Merseysiders and the Belgian “are concrete and ongoing,” a deal has not yet been reached.
Talks between Liverpool & #Lavia are concrete and ongoing.
🔴 Understand there is no agreement in terms of salary conditions yet. #LFC
➡️ As reported: His price tag is around £50m
➡️ Klopp wants him!ℹ️: Very press resistant player – even in high pressure situations, he… pic.twitter.com/sFCxiFP7UR
— Florian Plettenberg (@Plettigoal) July 9, 2023
Given that the player is only 19 years old and there is no assurance of a near-immediate fit, the signing could prove to be a barrier too far for the club at £50m.
Having played a whole season in the Premier League, it’s important to note that Lavia is not your typical young player.
We can scarcely wait another year given the well-known agreement Southampton currently has with Manchester City (a buyback clause of £40 million that the Sky Blues can activate next summer).
There will be more urgent demands for the recruitment staff to meet elsewhere in the squad next summer, leaving aside the obvious necessity to complete the work started by bringing Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister to the squad.
Though we can appreciate the club’s reluctance to pay a high cost for the teenager, refusing to pay the fee now in order to save £10 million next summer seems completely irrational, assuming the player doesn’t find a move to the Etihad more alluring by that time.