Liverpool have joined the race to bring Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia to Anfield this summer, according to reports.
What's the latest on Lavia's future?
The Reds have Naby Keita, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and James Milner all out of contract at the end of the season, and with it having been revealed that Arthur Melo will be returning to Juventus, Jurgen Klopp will need to enter the market to secure at least a couple of new central signings ahead of the 2023/24 term.
The Merseyside outfit have already been linked with several potential candidates to add to their midfield including Borussia Dortmund's Jude Bellingham and Chelsea's Mason Mount, but the latest name to have entered the fold is that of the 19-year-old from Southampton.
The Belgium international only made the move to the St Mary's Stadium in July from Premier League rivals Manchester City and his contract isn't set to expire until 2027, but Ruben Selles' best-performing midfielder aside from James Ward-Prowse after just 25 appearances (as per WhoScored), he has been identified as a possible alternative to the more high-profile targets mentioned above.
According to Football Insider, Liverpool have "entered the race" to sign Lavia and are "keen" to bring him to Anfield during the upcoming transfer window as they look to complete an "overhaul" of their midfield.
Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester United and City are also reported to be working on a deal, with the latter having included a £40m buy-back clause in the terms of his contract when selling their starlet to the Saints, but as a result of that not becoming active until next year, the door has been opened for other potential suitors to make their move beforehand.
Would Lavia be a good signing for Liverpool?
Lavia might not be as much of a household name as a lot of Liverpool's other targets, but he's been dubbed a midfield "monster" by Southampton reporter Benjy Nurick and could be a much cheaper quality option to pursue.
The Adidas-sponsored star is naturally a defensive midfielder and loves to get stuck in, as shown in him currently averaging two tackles per top-flight game (only two Southampton players can boast more), whilst ranking in the 89th percentile for most blocks.
Elsewhere, the £25k-p/w talent has the ability to operate slightly higher up in central midfield alongside sitting just in front of the back four, which will surely tick another box for Klopp or any other interested party.
Whether Liverpool's struggles this term will affect their chances of landing Lavia remains to be seen, but given they already seem to have a fight on their hands, you could argue that the odds are not in the Reds' favour.