Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool face a clear new incentive to land Southampton youngster Romeo Lavia as quickly as possible this summer.
All three Premier League clubs have been linked with a move for the 19-year-old, who has been touted for big things in his career. Last season was a breakout campaign for the Belgian, who made a move from Manchester City to Southampton in the hopes of reaching new heights.
Unfortunately for the Saints, they were relegated to the Championship, but it did provide the setting for Lavia to impress and become one of the standout stars of the team. That has naturally led to plenty of interest from top clubs, with many looking to rebuild their midfield departments.
City are claimed to have a buyback clause, but that won't be active until next summer and is available at £40million if they were to trigger it. Arsenal are one of those linked with a switch as they make wholesale changes to their central ranks, with a few deals already lined up.
Granit Xhaka has already left in a deal football.london understands is worth £21.5million, while football.london also understands that Thomas Partey could leave if a suitable offer is received. In terms of incomings, Kai Havertz has already made the £65million switch from rivals Chelsea, while Declan Rice is expected to complete a club-record £105million move from West Ham.
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Chelsea are also in the mix as exits for N'Golo Kante, Mason Mount and Mateo Kovacic leave few options at Mauricio Pochettino's disposal. Lavia could be on the agenda, though at the moment it seems as though Brighton star Moises Caicedo is being targeted as a top priority.
Then there's Liverpool, who have already added Alexis Mac Allister to their squad alongside Dominik Szoboszlai to add energy to the midfield. All three may be keen to add Lavia as quickly as possible to help settle into their ranks and understand the tactical requirements in pre-season.
The youngster made his first appearance in pre-season for the Saints on Wednesday, where he came on in the second half and played 30 minutes against Benfica. With time to get the team up to speed with fitness and their tactical tweaks this season, it remains to be seen who will make the first move in the transfer saga.
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