Liverpool are closing in on a deal for Southampton's Romeo Lavia, with a deal for the midfielder expected to be agreed, despite the interest from elsewhere, according to a recent report from Football Insider.
Who are Liverpool signing this summer?
Liverpool have already completed the signings of Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai, but Jurgen Klopp has his eye on several other midfield targets, and Bayern Munich's Ryan Gravenberch is enthused by the idea of playing under the German.
At least one other new midfielder is expected to arrive, and the Reds may be required to bring in more, as the same report details that Thiago is attracting the interest of Al-Ettifaq, with Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard now at the helm of the Saudi Arabian club.
The Merseysiders have shelved their interest in Nice midfielder Khephren Thuram for the time being, with Sky Sports reporter Florian Plettenberg recently claiming they have made Lavia one of their priority targets this summer.
There has now been a new update on Liverpool's pursuit of the central midfielder from Football Insider, with a report claiming the Reds are now closing in on a move, and a deal is "expected to be agreed" if a fee can be settled upon.
The Saints are believed to be holding out for a figure in the region of £50m, though the Reds are only currently willing to offer £40m, with negotiations set to continue in the coming days.
However, perhaps significantly, it is thought that Liverpool now believe the 19-year-old is keen on a move to Anfield despite interest from Premier League rivals Arsenal and Chelsea, as well as Spanish giants Barcelona.
Klopp is keen to bring in one more big-money midfield signing this summer, and the Southampton ace has emerged as a key target due to the fact he has his best years ahead of him, and he is fantastic at breaking up the play.
Is Romeo Lavia a CDM?
Indeed, the Belgium-born midfielder normally takes on a more defensive role, having made 81 appearances in defensive midfield throughout his career (including games at youth level) compared to just eight in a more advanced position (as per Transfermarkt).
There is a good reason why the starlet is utilised in a defensive role, as he ranks in the 96th percentile for blocks per 90 over the past year when compared to his positional peers across Europe's top five leagues.
Not only that, but the former Manchester City man averaged 2.1 tackles per game in the Premier League last season – the second-highest figure in the Southampton squad – in what was a real breakthrough campaign for the youngster as he made 29 league outings.
Although he is still inexperienced, the central midfielder showed some very promising signs in a poor Southampton side last term, with journalist Benjy Nurick hailing him as an "absolute monster" back in January.
It is exciting news that Liverpool are edging closer towards signing Lavia, as his defensive attributes could make him a fantastic long-term replacement for Fabinho, who is now 29 years old and struggled at times last season, with Michael Owen branding the Brazilian "really average".