Southampton manager Russell Martin has admitted that he may be powerless to stop star players like Romeo Lavia from leaving this summer.
Martin has joined Saints from Swansea after the club was relegated from the Premier League and has inherited a squad with some players attracting attention from elsewhere. Lavia, James Ward-Prowse and Tino Livramento have all been linked with a move back to the Premier League.
Lavia only joined Southampton from Manchester City last summer in a deal worth £10.5million plus add-ons, but he could be on the move again already. The 19-year-old Belgium international caught the eye with 29 Premier League appearances last season and has been linked with Liverpool and Arsenal.
In his first media interview since taking over at Southampton, Martin outlined his pragmatic approach to transfers this summer. "I hope I can convince some people to stay who were 50-50 about it," Martin told BBC Radio Solent. "I think there will be some players who we can't avoid [losing] who will be back in the Premier League.
"That's the nature of the game and some of them will be far too attractive to Premier League teams and will want to go and play in the Premier League. You have to respect that."
Southampton are understood to value Lavia at over £40m and are in a strong position, given he is under contract until June 2027. Saints also owe 20 per cent of any future transfer fee to City, meaning they will not sell at a knock-down price.
Liverpool have already signed Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai to bolster their midfield, but Jurgen Klopp wants more additions after losing James Milner, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Naby Keita and Arthur Melo.
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Meanwhile, Arsenal are also on the lookout for a midfielder to add to Declan Rice, who is poised to join in a £105m deal from West Ham, with Granit Xhaka, Thomas Partey and Albert Sambi Lokonga potentially leaving.
Saints captain Ward-Prowse has been linked with West Ham as a possible replacement for Rice while Livramento is wanted by his former club Chelsea and Newcastle. Martin added: "I have nothing to say about James Ward-Prowse or Tino Livramento. Whilst they are here all we can do is ask them to train and give everything they've got.
"In terms of transfers I've got nothing to say, some people will stay and some people will leave. Jason Wilcox [director of football] will take care of all that stuff and we will have conversations about it because he wants my opinion, but he is looking after the best interests of the club. I'm pretty relaxed about it.”
Southampton begin their Championship campaign with a trip to Sheffield Wednesday on August 4, meaning they have less than a month to finalise their squad.
