July 6th 2023.
Arsenal and Liverpool are reportedly unwilling to meet Southampton's £50 million asking price for midfielder Romeo Lavia. This news comes as Mikel Arteta is on the brink of securing his long-term midfield target Declan Rice from West Ham at a cost of £105 million.
Arteta is looking to further bolster his midfield following the departure of Granit Xhaka, who recently joined Bayer Leverkusen for £21.4 million. Arsenal are looking to acquire Lavia at a lower cost than the £50 million valuation, and Sky Sports have reported that Liverpool are in the same position, with their summer spending already reaching a peak.
Chelsea have also expressed interest in Lavia, but their current focus is on reaching an agreement with Brighton for Moises Caicedo, who is valued at £100 million. Despite this, Southampton are resigned to losing Lavia this summer following their relegation from the Premier League.
Lavia initially joined Southampton from Manchester City last year in a £14 million deal. City have a buyback option in the contract, but it will not be activated until next summer.
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