19 year old Talented Star £50m transfer Bid is inevitable after £171m Liverpool controversy

Liverpool might have had three bids rejected for Romeo Lavia, but the writing very much appears on the wall when it comes to the Belgian’s Southampton future.

An unused substitute for the Saints’ Championship opener away at Sheffield Wednesday on Friday night, the 19-year-old didn’t even make the travelling squad for

their shock League Cup first round loss at the hands of Gillingham on Tuesday. With Lavia’s head reportedly turned by the Reds’ interest, Southampton’s decision to

not field the midfielder so far this season tells its own story.

Ensuring he is not cup-tied by sparing him League Cup duty, the Saints have also made sure the teenager avoids unnecessary injury in match action ahead of an

expected big-money exit. A St. Mary’s departure seems a matter of when rather than if, even if a switch to Anfield is not yet certain.

With the likes of Chelsea, Manchester United, and Paris Saint-Germain also credited with interest in the teenager, Southampton are under no pressure to sell Lavia

on the cheap. Meanwhile, Man City possess a £40m buyback clause next summer, while Chelsea had a £50m bid rejected last summer to justify their current

demands.

Liverpool’s latest bid for Lavia was worth an overall £46m, having previously seen bids worth £34m plus £4m in add-ons and a £42m package rejected by

Southampton. For now, the Saints are staying true to their £50m asking-price.

While the where and when might not yet be decided when it comes to the 19-year-old’s future, the Saints are certain to pocket a major fee and a healthy profit. And

with negotiations between Liverpool and Southampton still ongoing, a betting man would expect Lavia to become a Reds player before the summer is out.

Of course, Liverpool have been in this situation themselves before, both as a buying and selling club. And it is perhaps that experience when in the Saints’ shoes

which reiterates while a transfer is still likely this summer.

It was on this day in 2004 where Michael Owen watched on from the substitutes’ bench as the Reds kicked off the Rafa Benitez era with a 2-1 victory away at Grazer

AK. Three days later, a £12m transfer to Real Madrid was confirmed.

Fast forward to the summer of 2010 and Javier Mascherano was left out of the Liverpool side that lost 3-0 away at Man City on August 23 amid speculation about

his future and a desire to join FC Barcelona. There were suggestions at the time that he had effectively gone on strike in a bid to force through a transfer, and by

August 27, the Catalans had agreed a £17.25m fee with the Reds for the Argentina international.

And in the 2017/18 season, Barcelona came calling at Anfield again as they pursued a deal for Philippe Coutinho. The Brazilian would sit out the Reds’ six opening

matches, including all their August outings, with a supposed back injury as he waited in hope of a move to Camp Nou.

While he was left disappointed in the summer, a club-record £142m switch to Barcelona was eventually completed in January 2018. But not before the playmaker

had sat out matches against Burnley and Everton before a fee was agreed with the Catalans on January 6.

Each of the outgoing three transfers was controversial. While the likes of Xabi Alonso and Raheem Sterling were spared pre-season duty ahead of their own big-

money exits, it is admittedly a lot messier once the competitive action gets underway as Liverpool and Southampton are now finding out.

There might not be any suspicion of a suspect injury or refusal to play when it comes to Lavia, but he very much has one foot out the St. Mary’s door.

Both Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp and Saints manager Russell Martin have hinted that a transfer isn’t likely before the weekend as negotiations continue. But with

Lavia still the Reds’ first-choice target to replace Fabinho following the Brazilian’s unexpected departure to Al-Ittihad, both clubs will want to end this drawn-out

transfer saga as soon as possible with an exit now appearing inevitable.

All that’s left now is to agree a transfer fee, though three rejected bids later and that is admittedly easier said than done.