Liverpool transfer news expert Neil Jones has had his say on the Romeo Lavia saga at the moment, whilst also naming some possible alternatives for the Reds in that area of the pitch.
Writing in his exclusive column for CaughtOffside, Jones said Liverpool were set to make an improved bid for Lavia of around £40million, and that it seems quite clear now that the highly-rated young Belgian midfielder is their priority transfer target for that position.
However, Jones himself admits he’s a big fan of Brighton star Moises Caicedo, saying that the Ecuador international looks a slightly more proven and ready-to-go option for that role, even if he can’t realistically see a deal happening.
“Where else to start this week’s column than with Romeo Lavia? That’s the player Liverpool want in midfield, that’s the player they’ve made a bid for. They made their move over the weekend, with a £37m bid to Southampton. That’s been rejected, but it seems like Lavia is the option Liverpool have settled on,” Jones said.
“Southampton obviously want a bigger price, around £50m, and it feels like Liverpool’s offer isn’t a million miles away from that now, taking into account add-ons. It feels like there’s a good chance a compromise could be found, but we’ll have to see how much Liverpool are willing to go up, and how much Southampton might be willing to lower their demands. My current understanding is that Liverpool are likely to go back in with an improved bid, worth in excess of £40m including add-ons.
“A few other names have been mentioned as well, even if the Lavia interest seems the most concrete at the moment, but it’s not surprising that the club may have alternatives in mind. Joao Palhinha and Cheick Doucoure have been linked, and of those two I think the latter is far likelier. Doucoure is four of five years younger, so given his age and the money sort of money that would be required for these players, I think he clearly looks a more realistic target. He’s had a decent first season in the Premier League, but I still suspect his asking price quoted from Palace sources of £65-70m would be a little high.
“But similar money for Palhinha from Fulham, who’s 28 years old, makes that one a lot less likely. And that’s before taking into account that Palhinha also got what looked like quite a bad shoulder injury in a friendly against Brentford over the weekend, so I think we can probably tick him off the list. Doucoure, though, could be one to keep an eye on, depending on what happens with Lavia, as well as with Fabinho and Jordan Henderson.
“My ideal target, even if it’s not realistic, would probably be Moises Caicedo. I like Lavia, and think he could grow into a quality first-team player, but Caicedo is a more established player and would be my dream signing in that position.
“For me, he just ticks every box that you’d want from a Liverpool player to change this team going forward. He’s Premier League-proven, he’s energetic, he’s strong, he can pass, he can run, he’s shown he can fill in at right-back which could work well in a team with a roaming right-back like Trent Alexander-Arnold. Sadly, it doesn’t feel like it’s going to be possible this summer.”
Lavia is a similar style of player and a big prospect, so most LFC fans will surely be pretty happy with him arriving, if a deal can eventually be struck.
Still, there’s no doubt it’s also a bit of a gamble for Liverpool at a time when they’re losing so many experienced players who won so much with the club at the height of the Jurgen Klopp era.