by kazza » Mon Jul 03, 2023 1:20 pm
Romeo Lavia of Southampton is on the radar after an impressive individual campaign in his first full season as a Premier League player. The Belgium international is just 19 but managed to feature 29 times and stood out in a Saints side that ultimately couldn't stave off relegation.
Manchester City have a buyback option that reportedly comes into effect in 12 months but with Southampton now in the Championship, will they really be able to demand upwards of £40m for Lavia this summer?
The interest in Lavia is genuine and Liverpool have kept tabs on his development since he moved to the south coast from Man City last year. His inexperience could yet count against him though where a potential move is concerned. At the sort of price being mentioned, Liverpool usually prefer players to have played anywhere between 150-200 senior games, where Lavia has less than 40.
Senior Anfield sources have insisted their interest has not gone beyond the due diligence process at present but he is most certainly a player whose ceiling and current ability means he is well liked within the club. As seen by the sudden move for Szoboszlai, Liverpool move swiftly when the green light is given.
Elsewhere Ryan Gravenberch and Khephren Thuram are two others who have been assessed, although a knee injury for Manu Kone, picked up on France Under-21 duty last week, could yet rule out the Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder from the running. With Szoboszlai through the doors, it appears unlikely Gabri Vegia's £40m release clause at Celta Vigo will now be triggered.
France's U21 exit at the hands of Ukraine on Sunday could now theoretically free up time and space for negotiations with Thuram's camp but the Nice midfielder is perhaps the great conundrum now given the addition of Szoboszlai.
It's believed the player's agent, Rafaela Pimenta, met with Nice's hierarchy last month but it was generally accepted any potential deal would not be forthcoming during the young Bleus' European Championship campaign. What happens next then will be intriguing.
Defensively, Liverpool are being named in connection with a number of centre-halves as the questions over the Reds' tactical framework for the coming campaign rumble on. Much depends on the use of Trent Alexander-Arnold going forward but another centre-back would be ideal if the profile and price were suitable.
Levi Colwill is widely appreciated but the England Under-21 international is currently a Chelsea player, making it potentially prohibitive to conclude a deal with a Premier League rival, particularly with Brighton keen to make their loaning of the defender a more permanent arrangement this summer. There are several hoops to jump through on that front and the Reds generally prefer not to get into any drawn-out sagas if there are alternatives.
Wolfsburg's Micky van de Ven has been linked with moves to both Liverpool and Tottenham but it is believed to be Anfield where the Dutchman dreams of really pitching up at. A report in Wolfsburg media recently read: "He's not one of those crest-smooches who want to suggest to the fans that the club means everything to them and that they would never leave – and then run away. On the contrary, Van de Ven honestly says that he dreams of the Premier League and Liverpool."
Another piece in Wolfsburger Allgemeine, wrote: "The departure of Micky van de Ven is becoming more and more likely. The 22-year-old defensive rocket is very much in the focus of Premier League clubs. In addition to Liverpool, with its new sports director and former [Wolsfburg] managing director Jorg Schmadtke, Tottenham Hotspur should now also have the left foot on a shortlist."
The ECHO understands that there is no interest in Sporting defender Goncalo Inacio. Sources have dismissed the prospect of the left-sided centre-half being under any real consideration, despite reports in Portugal suggesting both Liverpool and Chelsea are set to enter a bidding war.
With two in by early July, Liverpool are clearly taking a proactive approach towards recruitment this summer and they are not going to rest on their laurels yet as a major campaign for the Klopp era draws nearer.