EXCLUSIVE: Liverpool weigh up Romeo Lavia move

Jacque Talbot

• Updated: 25 May 2023 14:45 BST
• 4 min read

Exclusive

Liverpool are giving consideration to a move that would see Tyler Morton head to Southampton as a method to subside a deal for Romeo Lavia, FootballTransfers understands.

Morton signed a long-term deal with the Reds in January and had a loan spell at Blackburn this season.

Liverpool have done a lot of the legwork where their major targets are concerned - though Mason Mount's head has been turned by Manchester United. Talks were held with Mount earlier this year but the club are not prepared to meet Chelsea's inflated asking price, nor do they wish to engage in a bidding war with Man Utd at this point. The deal is not dead but it's much further away than several weeks, ago. Meanwhile, the club are speaking to Alexis Mac Allister’s representatives over personal terms, with an offer expected soon.

READ MORE: EXCLUSIVE: Arteta opens talks over new Arsenal contract

But Liverpool are still after a holding midfielder. As reported before, Southampton will ask for £50million for 19-year-old Lavia, who has a clause with his former club Manchester City that would enable the recently-crowned Premier League champions to bring him back in the summer of 2024 for £40m. We have been informed that, if Liverpool were to make an offer, there is an idea that Morton could be offered to lower the cost for the Belgian.

Morton can play in the No.8 role but is positioned more prominently as a No.6. He played 40 games in the Championship last season for Rovers. The emergence of Stefan Bajcetic means that any game-time for Morton in the upcoming season for the Reds as an emerging prospect could be severely hampered, too.

Elsewhere, the club are ultimately undecided, but they have closed the pool on other areas of the pitch. Khephren Thuram is also on the list to fill the No.6 role, following our story from January that Liverpool spoke with the Frenchman over a possible move, as well as Lavia, whose current side were recently relegated to the Championship.

Lavia is speaking to various clubs but we understand Newcastle are not keen at this point, despite reports to the contrary.

Exc: Told Atalanta will refuse to sell reported Liverpool target Teun Koopmeiners this window. Aiming for Europa and have already sold off Ruslan Malinovskyi to Marseille. Hear been talks between Reds and Khephren Thuram of Nice - and Kouadio Kone of Borussia Monchengladbach tho.

— Jacque Talbot (@jac_talbot) January 9, 2023

Chelsea have been linked to Lavia but, as we exclusively revealed, they and Aston Villa are also keeping tabs on Manuel Ugarte.

Liverpool had negotiations with Sporting CP over a possible move for the Uruguayan but were unwilling to pay the full release clause - £53m - for a player who has no Premier League time and does not have experience operating in the system that Jurgen Klopp deploys. Reports now suggest Paris Saint-Germain have swooped in for the midfielder. Orkun Kokcu of Feyenoord may be easier to prise away after Arne Slot announced he would be not heading for Tottenham, who have an interest in the 22-year-old. Ajax's Mohammed Kudus is well-liked by some club personnel. He is expected to leave his current side this upcoming window.