Liverpool will "bid again" for Southampton's exciting young midfielder Romeo Lavia this summer and could do it as soon as "the next few days", according to transfers expert Fabrizio Romano.
Is Romeo Lavia joining Liverpool this season?
It has been a summer of change for Liverpool this year, especially in the centre of the park.
So far, the club have sold two of the players that have been instrumental in the domestic and European successes of recent seasons, with Fabinho and Jordan Henderson making their way to the ludicrously wealthy Saudi Pro League.
Coming the other way have been Alexis Mac Allister, who joined from Brighton & Hove Albion in a deal worth £35m, rising to £55m and Dominik Szoboszlai, who swapped life in the Bundesliga with RB Leipzig for Meyseyside in a deal worth £60m.
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And while these additions to the team certainly make Jurgen Klopp's side stronger, they still need to add a new number six into the mix, something they seem well aware of considering their pursuit of Saints star Lavia.
So far, the Merseysiders have made two separate offers for the youngster, one worth in the region of £34m plus £4m in add-ons and a second worth £41m, both of which were rejected by the Southcoast club, per the Liverpool Echo.
Not a club to be deterred, the Reds are now preparing a third offer for the Belgian international and could make it as soon as the "next few days", per transfers expert Fabrizio Romano.
He explained the situation on the That's Football YouTube channel, saying:
"We have to wait for Liverpool to prepare the third proposal for Romeo Lavia. The first one was £37m rejected, the second was £42m rejected, so it was a very clear way from the club because Southampton want £50m. That's what they want for Romeo Lavia.
"And let me say that [Southampton] have always been strong in negotiations this summer, for example, with Newcastle. When they negotiated for Tino Livromento, many rumours were saying £23m-£24m, Southampton always said £40m package or nothing and in the end, they got £40m for Tino Livromento. So it is almost the same for Romeo Lavia.
"They want £50m, that's going to be the fee, Liverpool know that very well, so I expect them to bid again, I expect them to try again in the next days this week. Lets see if they can reach an agreement, but for sure Romeo Lavia remains the main target for Liverpool in the midfield."
Would Romeo Lavia be a good signing for Liverpool?
To be succinct, Lavia could be an excellent signing for Klopp to make this summer. The move is only made all the more essential following the departure of Fabinho to Saudi Arabia, meaning that the team now have a glaring vacancy in the midfield just ahead of the back line, a vacancy Lavia could make his own.
In his 26 starts for Southampton last season, the 19-year-old provided one assist maintained a passing accuracy of 86.4% and maintained an average match rating of 6.56, per WhoScored.
His standout statistic, however, is the number of blocks he makes per 90, 1.90, which according to FBref, puts the 5 foot 11 "monster" in the top 4% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues.
If Klopp and Co can negotiate a lower price for Lavia, they should certainly be doing all they can to bring him in, and to be honest, they should just pay the £50m if the Saints refuse to budge because, at just 19, the young Belgian could be a genuine superstar in the future.