Liverpool are still keen on the potential transfer of Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia as Jordan Henderson closes in on an exit, according to Fabrizio Romano in his exclusive CaughtOffside column.
Chelsea could also be in the mix for Lavia, though their priority is still Brighton midfielder Moises Caicedo, according to Romano, while Southampton’s £50million asking price for Lavia remains an issue.
Liverpool are expected to keep on being busy this summer, but they’re not keen on paying £50m for Lavia, so it could be that they’ll turn to other targets.
With the Caicedo deal dragging on, though, it is surely worth keeping an eye on Chelsea and Lavia, so LFC might want to be quick and not let the exciting young Belgium international slip away.
Chelsea have sold a lot of players this summer, but Henderson leaving Liverpool would also represent another big change that the Reds need to prepare for.
“Jordan Henderson to Al Ettifaq is now almost a done deal – a verbal agreement was already in place and I can now also confirm that the player did his medical on Friday night. The deal will be signed next week, so it’s almost completed – Henderson will is leaving Liverpool,” Romano said.
“Staying with Liverpool, they keep working on Romeo Lavia. Nothing is advanced in terms of bids or club to club negotiations – still, contacts are taking place with the player’s agents and they are trying to understand the final price tag. Southampton always wanted around £50m but Liverpool are hoping for a different fee. He’s not their only target, but he is a concrete one, and Liverpool are still there.
“Jurgen Klopp has hinted that things will happen before the end of the summer, and while it’s impossible to predict the exact number of signings, Liverpool will be busy for sure, it just depends on opportunities.
“Chelsea are also following the Lavia situation due to the connection with Joe Shields, one of the Chelsea directors, but it’s not linked to the Moises Caicedo deal. Caicedo remains the priority for Chelsea, but Shields had Lavia at Southampton and Manchester City, so he knows the player well and there is a good connection there.”
Chelsea should get their cheque-book out and sign Romeo Lavia. He would definitely be a good addition to the young Chelsea squad.