Liverpool respond decisively to Chelsea's Lavia hijack
Cameron Smith
- Updated: 28 Jul 2023 13:28 BST
- 3 min read
Liverpool have responded to Chelsea’s attempts to hijack their deal for Romeo Lavia by returning to Southampton with a new and improved offer.
The Reds saw a €43 million (£37m) bid turned down by the Saints, which alerted Chelsea, according to multiple reports.
Mauricio Pochettino’s side are now trying to hijack Liverpool’s deal to sign Lavia as their own pursuit of Brighton & Hove Albion’s Moises Caicedo continues to stall. The Seagulls want €115m (£100m) for the Ecuadorian, which is a price Chelsea have not met.
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As a result, they are viewing the possibility of approaching Lavia as they look to bolster the options available to Pochettino. So far, the Blues have not signed any midfielders this summer, despite losing Mateo Kovacic, N’Golo Kante, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Mason Mount, Ethan Ampadu and Tiemoue Bakayoko.
However, Liverpool have acted quickly following Chelsea’s interest in Lavia, and have submitted a fresh off to Southampton as they look to secure the services of the Belgian midfielder.
That is according to Rudy Galetti, who has reported that Liverpool have submitted an offer closer to Southampton’s valuation, although it still falls roughly €9m short of the Saints’ €58m (£50m) asking price.
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This could give Chelsea a chance to swoop in, although they remain in discussions with Caicedo, who appears their first-choice. But, there is growing confidence from Liverpool, according to Galetti, after their second bid was lodged.
Liverpool target Lavia
Similarly to Chelsea, Liverpool have also seen multiple midfield departures this summer, with Jordan Henderson, Naby Keita, James Milner and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain all leaving.
Fabinho could also join them, while only Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai have arrived.
Lavia is reportedly seen as a potential replacement for Fabinho, although the Brazilian’s proposed move to Al-Ittihad has not yet been completed yet. However, Fabrizio Romano has reported that an agreement is close to being made, while the former Monaco man has been authorised to travel to Saudi Arabia to undergo his medical.
