Chelsea are looking to beat Liverpool to Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia as the London club have joined the race with a £48m bid.
The Reds have been pursuing the 19-year-old in recent weeks but are dragging their heels over the deal in an unLiverpool-like way. The Merseyside club have seen three bids rejected for the Southampton star with the latest being around £46million this week, reports The Athletic.
The same outlet are now reporting Chelsea’s interest in the Saints star, with the Blues submitting a £48million offer including add-ons for Lavia. Talks are currently ongoing, with Southampton still holding out for their asking price of £50m.
Liverpool will likely bid again for Lavia, even though they don’t believe the player is worth £50m due to his experience in the game. However, the Reds now have competition and the last thing they will want is for a bidding war to commence.
Jurgen Klopp is in desperate need of a number six and if Chelsea manages to hijack Liverpool’s deal for Lavia, the Reds will have to look elsewhere with not a lot of time left in the transfer window.