Here we Go – player spotted in London Colney today with His current Employers to seal Arsenal £50m deal – Arsenal second signing of the summer
Arsenal have held discussions with a £50million star and his current employers over a potential move to north London.
Arsenal have held ‘talks’ with Romeo Lavia and his current employers ahead of potentially luring the Southampton star to the Emirates Stadium in a big-money deal, transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has exclusively told GIVEMESPORT.
The Gunners are on the brink of making Kai Havertz their first signing of the summer, after agreeing a £65million fee with Chelsea earlier this week, but boss Mikel Arteta is eager to secure further reinforcements during the summer window.
Arsenal transfer news – Romeo Lavia
According to 90min, Arsenal have held discussions with Southampton ahead of potentially offering Lavia an immediate return to the Premier League.
The report suggests the Gunners are facing competition from Chelsea, who have asked to remain informed over the Belgium international’s availability, while Liverpool, Manchester United and Newcastle United also hold an interest.
But it appears that Arsenal are at the front of the queue to sign Lavia as it is understood that talks are progressing with Southampton, who suffered relegation to the Championship last season, and they are close to reaching an agreement over personal terms.
Saints have slapped a £50million price tag on the central midfielder as former club Manchester City are entitled to 20 per cent of any future sale.
Respected journalist Romano recently told GIVEMESPORT that Lavia is on a list of targets put together by Arsenal chief Arteta, while a move for Everton’s Amadou Onana is also being considered.
What has Fabrizio Romano said about Lavia?
Romano understands that Arsenal have made inroads in their pursuit of Lavia after holding discussions with his representatives and Southampton.
However, the transfer expert is aware that the Gunners – who have also had bids turned down for West Ham United captain Declan Rice – still have plenty of work to do before acquiring the 19-year-old.
Romano told GIVEMESPORT: “With Lavia, they are interested. They appreciate the player and had some talks on both the player and club side with Southampton to understand more or less how much they want for the player.
“But it’s not something that is in the advanced stages between Arsenal and Southampton yet.”
Would Lavia be a good signing for Arsenal?
FBref statistics show that Lavia averaged more blocks and interceptions per 90 minutes than Thomas Partey during the 2022/23 campaign.
The Ghana international could be on his way out of Arsenal, after attracting interest from Saudi Arabia, so the Southampton man may be an ideal replacement
After joining the south coast club in a deal worth up to £14million last summer, Lavia established himself as one of the first names on the team-sheet
The teenager made 34 appearances in all competitions and wasted no time in adjusting to the rigours of the Premier League, having made the move from Manchester City without any experience in the top flight
Sofascore data highlights that Lavia averaged 2.1 tackles and 1.1 interceptions per game, so there is no doubt that he could make Arsenal more difficult for opponents to break down.
