Liverpool are ready to return with a second offer worth £45m for Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia, 90min understands.
Jurgen Klopp’s midfield is undergoing a significant revamp after last season’s disappointment of missing out on the Champions League, with Naby Keita, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and James Milner already out of the exit door.
Fabinho and Jordan Henderson are to follow, with deals to Saudi Pro League sides Al Ittihad and Al Ettifaq working towards completion. There had been doubts over whether Fabinho’s switch to Saudi Arabia would go through, with Liverpool struggling to agree the specifics of the £40m deal, but work is continuing to make that deal happen.
Henderson, meanwhile, has already begun training with his new side and posted a farewell message to Liverpool’s supporters on Wednesday.
90min previously revealed that an opening offer for Lavia, comprising of £35m plus add-ons, had been rejected by Southampton, with the recently-relegated side looking to pocket a fee of at least £50m for the talented teenager.
Arsenal and Chelsea have also shown interest in Lavia this summer, while Manchester City have a buy-back clause – inserted in the deal that saw the Belgian join Southampton – that becomes active next summer.
But Liverpool want to ensure Lavia moves to Anfield and not anywhere else, with sources confirming to 90min that a second bid is expected to imminently land in the St Mary’s in tray.
The proposal will be worth £45m to Southampton overall, comprised of £40m in guaranteed money plus an additional £5m in add-ons – an amount that still falls short of the Championship side’s valuation.
Lavia’s camp have already indicated their desire to make the move, and 90min understands that personal terms have already been agreed in principle. The hope from Liverpool’s end is that a deal can be agreed in time for him to be a part of their pre-season tour to Singapore, which comes to an end next Wednesday.
Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai have arrived to help fill the void in midfield, but Klopp’s number one priority is to find a new defensive-minded player of holding things together in the middle of the park.
Source: 90min.com