Liverpool have made a fresh bid to sign Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia, however it was immediately knocked back by the Saints, as it was well below their asking price of £50m, according to a report from Sky Sports.
Is Romeo Lavia signing for Liverpool?
There have been conflicting reports about whether Lavia is close to a move to Anfield, with Foot Mercato recently detailing the midfielder is "one step away" from completing a switch for a fee of around €50m (£43m).
Journalist Ben Jacobs recently told GiveMeSport that the Reds believe they will be able to get a deal over the line, saying: "Liverpool are preparing another offer, which will be over £40million, and the feeling is relatively positive that there is a deal there to be had.
"There is some Chelsea interest at this point, but it may become strong, especially with Moises Caicedo talks not moving as fast as they would like.
"But the key point in all this is that Lavia wants Liverpool. Knowing the player's desire, Liverpool have got more confidence. Now it's about agreeing a package with Southampton."
According to a report from Sky Sports, however, Liverpool's most recent bid was still below an initial £40m, way under the Saints' asking price of £50m, so it was immediately knocked back.
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The total package took the Reds closer to Southampton's valuation, but a compromise is yet to be reached, meaning they have started to run the rule over other targets, including Fluminense midfielder Andre.
In an ideal situation, Jurgen Klopp would like to bring in two new midfielders and a defender before the transfer deadline, and the Southampton star remains keen on a switch to Anfield, with personal terms not expected to be a problem.
However, as the Saints are currently unwilling to budge on their asking price, Liverpool are now considering alternative options.
How good is Romeo Lavia?
Lauded as "outstanding" by members of the media, the Belgian certainly made a good impression during his first season in a Southampton shirt last season, averaging 2.1 tackles per game in the Premier League, a higher amount than Fabinho.
The 19-year-old also averaged more interceptions than the Brazil international, indicating he could be a fantastic long-term replacement, however there are doubts over whether he justifies a £50m outlay at this stage.
Although he clearly has a lot of potential, the Brussels-born midfielder has only made a total of 29 appearances in the top flight, so it is difficult to justify a £50m price tag, and it is no wonder Liverpool are considering other midfielders.
That said, Andre has performed worse than the youngster on almost every key defensive metric over the past year, despite playing in a far weaker league, averaging fewer tackles, interceptions and blocks per 90.
As such, Lavia remains the Reds' best option to replace Fabinho, and they should see if they can reach a compromise in the coming days, but they will need to move swiftly, with the Premier League season set to get underway in less than two weeks.
