Arsenal complicated Liverpool transfer task as $89m alternative to Romeo Lavia proves reality
The ‘Arsenal Effect’ is set to lure Liverpool into a deal for Southampton midfielder Roméo Lavia as a $62million price hike for an alternative speaks volumes.
On Monday, Liverpool saw a third offer for midfielder Roméo Lavia, this time worth $59m (£45m/€52m), which was rejected by Southampton.
The Championship club have always claimed they want $64m (£50m/€58m) for their exciting project and refuse to back down even as Liverpool move ever closer.
The delay is causing growing frustration among subscribers.
On July 25, Liverpool’s first offer was made public and on July 31, Fabinho, the Reds’ former number six, sealed a $52m (£40m/€46m) transfer. at Saudi professional league club Al-Ittihad.
Any hopes of Lavia taking part in the first Premier League game of the season against Chelsea on Sunday are now dashed.
It appears the player’s side are pushing for the move (according to journalist Sacha Tavolieri) and Southampton are ready to strike deals at what they believe is a fair price.
The problem is that Liverpool clearly don’t see Lavia as a $64m asset at the time of this writing and at first glance you can see why.
Aged just 19, he has just completed a season of top football at a relegated club and has made a total of 36 senior national team appearances.
But here the market situation must be taken into account.
One player selected to replace Liverpool’s Fabinho alongside Lavia was Crystal Palace’s Cheick Doucouré (via The Athletic), but The Mail later reported that the Eagles had paid a “minimum” of $89m (£70m / €81 million) for his services.
Palace see Doucouré as ‘central’ to their plans for next season and, significantly, have been buoyed by Arsenal’s record $134m (£105m/€122m) nosedive for Declan Rice and Brighton’s $127m (£100m) / (€116m)). appreciation for Moises Caicedo. That duo set a new benchmark with number six.
Yes, Doucouré was named Palace’s player of the season in his debut season following his move from Lens, but cost the London club just $27m (£21m/€24m) last summer.
A $62 million price increase sounds wildly outrageous. We have seen this process repeated in the case of Fulham’s João Palhinha.
The Evening Standard nominated him as a candidate to succeed Fabinho, but at West Ham an offer worth $59 million (the same amount offered by Liverpool for Lavia) has already been turned down by the Cottagers.
After investing just $25m (£20m/€23m) in the signing last summer, Fulham insisted on a $102m (£80m/€93m) transfer fee. million) for a player who turned 28 in July (via The Guardian).
Palhinha reportedly picked up a serious shoulder injury in pre-season which likely rules out a potential transfer, but his club’s position still paints an alarming picture in the market.
Any potential deal-maker is aware of Liverpool’s dire need for a defensive midfielder and the time constraints that put Jurgen Klopp’s side in a vulnerable position.
Considering this, and the alternative target rates mentioned, $64 million for Lavia is suddenly starting to seem somewhat reasonable.
Yes, it may not reach an elite level right away, but it has a higher ceiling than any other realistic goal. The bottom line is that it’s time for Liverpool to pay.