Liverpool Could Look to Offer Southampton a Swap Deal for Romeo Lavia
Liverpool are reportedly looking to get creative in their pursuit of Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia, with the Saints expecting a hefty fee of £50 million for the 19-year-old. The Reds may need to find inventive ways to bring the Belgian to Anfield, and the latest suggestions are that members of the current squad could be used as a makeweight in a potential deal.
Journalist Fabrizio Romano has hinted that Liverpool could use a “creative formula” to secure the signature of Lavia, adding that some players could move in the other direction to make the transfer happen.
Which Players Could Liverpool Use as Makeweights?
If Liverpool are to use players as leverage in the Lavia deal, there are both temporary and permanent options available. Tyler Morton could be a permanent option for the Saints given that he has typically operated in a similar area of the pitch during his time at Liverpool and on loan at Blackburn. Nat Phillips could also make the move to Saint Mary’s, with the defender ready for a new challenge having been restricted to just one Premier League start last season.
A loan move to the south coast for Stefan Bajcetic would make a lot of sense for all parties, with his profile similar to that of Lavia and a temporary switch perhaps being the ideal way to build the Spaniard back up from injury. The same could be said for Conor Bradley, who enjoyed a successful stint at Bolton in League One and a step up to the Championship could be an ideal move for his development.
Bobby Clark is progressing steadily through Liverpool’s youth ranks and could provide Southampton with a midfield option if they are to lose one of their star men this summer, while Sepp van den Berg could be used to strengthen the Saints’ defence as he recovers from his latest injury setback.
Conclusion
Liverpool may need to get creative if they are to sign Romeo Lavia from Southampton this summer, with the Saints expecting a hefty fee of £50 million for the 19-year-old. The Reds could look to offer a swap deal involving some of their current squad members, with both temporary and permanent options available. Tyler Morton, Nat Phillips, Stefan Bajcetic, Conor Bradley, Bobby Clark and Sepp van den Berg could all be used as makeweights in the deal, depending on what Southampton are looking for in return.