Confirmed – another £40m midfielder will be joining Arsenal soon once Declan Rice transfer is done
Arsenal are still very interested in Southampton’s Romeo Lavia and he “remains” on their shortlist, according to Fabrizio Romano.
Are Arsenal going to sign Lavia?
Having invested all their time and resources into securing deals for Declan Rice, Kai Havertz and Jurrien Timber, Arsenal’s recruitment team have barely been able to catch their breath over the past few weeks.
The Gunners want to build a team capable of going a step further and toppling Manchester City next season, and Mikel Arteta will need significant reinforcements to catch the champions, especially with the added pressure of Champions League football.
While Rice remains their midfield priority, Granit Xhaka and Thomas Partey’s seemingly inevitable Emirates exits means that a second midfielder will be required as well. That midfielder very well could be 19-year-old Romeo Lavia.
According to Fabrizio Romano, Lavia remains firmly on the Gunners shortlist, despite interest from Liverpool ramping up.
“We already told you last week that Romeo Lavia is in Arsenal’s list, that Arsenal had some positive conversations on club and player’s side, but still no official bid,” said the Italian.
“We know the priority is to resolve other stuff, like Timber, Rice and many others. Of course, Havertz will be official, but, guys, it is important to say that Romeo Lavia remains in Arsenal’s list as one of the players they appreciate.”
“So, Romeo Lavia is in Arsenal’s list, but from what I understand, also Liverpool have opened talks to sign Romeo Lavia.”
Romano also suggests that the Gunners may have to wait for Partey’s future to be decided before they can act on their Lavia interest. However, by this time they could be behind other clubs in the queue.
Last season’s Premier League runners-up had also shown a significant interest in midfielder Ilkay Gundogan, who could have followed the path of Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko to north London, but the German has since joined Barcelona.
What could Arsenal expect from Lavia?
The fact that Lavia has taken inspiration from former Manchester City teammate Fernandinho can only be a positive thing for potential suitors, with the Belgian sharing some key characteristics with the 53-cap Brazilian international.
Lavia has great defensive awareness and reads the game well, being described as “head and shoulders” above any of Southampton’s other players this season – albeit that is a very low bar – and being praised for his “professionalism” and “consistency”.
Valued at more than £40m by the Saints per Romano, that could well prove to be a steal in an inflated transfer market, especially for a player who is just 19 with a year of top-flight experience under his belt already.
Lavia could provide Arsenal with significant defensive stability in the absence of Partey, as well as being a cheaper alternative should Declan Rice join Man City.
