Liverpool have been strongly linked with a move for Romeo Lavia this summer and now a new update from a reliable source could be present a huge opportunity for the club to advance on their target.
What's the latest on Liverpool's interest in Romeo Lavia?
According to The Athletic's football correspondent David Ornstein, the Southampton midfielder is one of the players under consideration as Liverpool are expecting a bid for Fabinho from Al Ittihad.
As per a report written for the publication, Ornstein reveals that the Reds are preparing for a £40m bid for their long-standing defensive midfielder and Lavia is named as a potential replacement.
A further analysis from Andy Jones in the same article reveals that whilst the Merseyside club retain an interest in Lavia, they are not keen on his £50m valuation set by the recently relegated club.
What position does Lavia play?
Reports of approaches for both Jordan Henderson and Fabinho from the Saudi Pro League in the last few days will leave Jurgen Klopp with huge decisions to make during his preparations for next season.
Whilst the German coach is all too familiar with FSG's 'sell to buy' transfer policy that ultimately creates hurdles for him to acquire the services of further new additions this summer, he will need to consider if he has enough experience in the centre of the pitch to sanction moves away for two of his most experienced assets.
However, an opportunity to add a younger talent into the midfield rebuild will be hard to ignore for the club and Lavia could be a great prospect for the next generation of success at Anfield, should Liverpool sanction the sale of Fabinho.
When comparing Lavia's output to his Liverpool positional peer, the Saints star outperformed Fabinho in a number of key defensive attributes per 90 minutes played including tackles won (2.43 v 2.13), interceptions (1.34 v 1.25), blocks (1.90 v 1.23) and successful take-ons (1.13 v 0.25), proving that he was a more prolific and confident ball-winner over the last 12 months.
The 19-year-old sensation – who was once hailed a "real diamond" by football talent scout Jacek Kulig – was one of the most talked about talents in the Premier League over last season and despite Southampton's relegation to the Championship, has been lauded for his strong presence in the heart of his team.
Paul Scholes is one of many former professionals who have been in awe of Lavia's development and skill set, with the Manchester United legend analysing the youngster's strengths:
"He has got a pass in his locker and he is big and strong and likes to defend. He does not want to get forward too much and sits in front of the back four and sets the play in motion from there."
Indeed, there is a huge risk that comes with offloading a number of experienced players all at once, especially when they have a sound understanding of the manager's system and the club culture, which ultimately helps with bedding in newcomers who will learn from those leaders and mainstays that represent the team.
Fabinho has been a key component to Liverpool's success over the last half a decade and with three years remaining on his contract, continues to play a vital and trusted role in the team, something that will be hard to replace next season if he does exit for Saudi Arabia.
With that being said, the developments at Anfield over the coming days and weeks will definitely be one to watch, and it will be interesting to see whether Klopp is ready to dive straight into a complete transition of his midfield presence or retains his more experienced players for the campaign ahead.
