Arsenal and Chelsea may have been handed a huge twist in the race for Southampton youngster Romeo Lavia this summer by rivals Liverpool. It comes as the two London clubs eye a move for the midfielder as part of a long-term view to reshaping their central ranks in the coming weeks.
For the Gunners, it comes as Mikel Arteta looks to make a push towards the Premier League title by using the summer transfer market to his advantage. With the signing of Kai Havertz already confirmed, deals for Declan Rice and Jurrien Timber in the next few days should take their spend up to £200million.
However, the future of the midfield is still being assessed, given recent reports surrounding a potential exit for Thomas Partey this summer. With emphasis on quality and youth within the squad, the signing of Lavia could help ease any concerns over the deeper role, with Jorginho, Mohamed Elneny and even Rice able to play that position if required.
Across London, Chelsea are also in the mix as they look to make their return towards battling amongst the elite clubs in the Premier League. The side finished 12th in the division last season, but with a huge squad clear out and the arrival of new head coach Mauricio Pochettino, there may be more hope for the coming campaign.
Boehly-Clearlake have made their own clear emphasis on landing promising prospects for the future and as a result, links to Lavia come as little surprise. With N'Golo Kante, Mateo Kovacic and Jorginho leaving in recent months, with Mason Mount set to depart for Manchester United, a rework in midfield is also needed.
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The Belgian is drawing interest from elsewhere too, with each of the two London clubs focusing on completing other priorities first. This may have opened the door to Liverpool as TalkSPORT reports that the Reds are preparing an opening bid for the 19-year-old very soon.
Jurgen Klopp and his backroom staff have moved quickly to shuffle their midfield units, adding Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai already. It remains to be seen whether they will match the £50million valuation set by the Saints, however their quick business may give them a head start over Arsenal and Chelsea.
