By going back to complete a protracted transfer saga, Arsenal might be planning to spend more money this summer.
How much is Romeo Lavia going to cost?
The Gunners may beat Liverpool in the race to sign Southampton star Romeo Lavia, claims Belgian outlet DH via Sport Witness.
The Belgian midfielder, who had a breakout season in the Premier League last year, has been linked with a move away from St Mary’s ever since their relegation.
But it appears that Thomas Partey’s future and whether he moves to Saudi Arabia largely determine whether he might move to the Emirates.
They should now possess the advantage over the Reds that the report suggested they would given that a Saudi Arabian journalist, Nawaf Al-Aqeel, claimed the Ghana international had already reached a personal agreement with a club just last week. Bringing Lavia in is to become a “priority” if that move is approved, according to the report.
Football Transfers only values the 19-year-old at €20.3 million (£17.6 million), despite the Saints expecting to demand a fee of around £50 million for his services.
Romeo Lavia: How good is he?
Since Mikel Arteta’s team recently travelled to America with Kai Havertz, Declan Rice, and Jurrien Timber all on board, this high-profile acquisition would complement the three new faces already incorporated into the group.
Despite the lengthy process involved in acquiring the latter two, it now appears that their team has the necessary depth to effectively compete with Manchester City and push them further in the race for prestigious honours.
This, obviously, hasn’t stopped the north London club from searching the market for additional deals that would help in this endeavour.
It is anticipated that the former Ajax player will primarily enjoy a future as an inverted full-back, coming inside from the right to support Arteta’s philosophy given the versatility and immense technical abilities of their new Dutch defender. Even though he prefers to play centre back, this is the case.
They would be without that midfield general to serve as the basis for such a system should this happen, along with the potential dual departure of Partey and Granit Xhaka.
Because of his defensive-first mentality and ability to be a formidable asset in the backfield, Lavia’s entry could thus be exactly what Timber needs to succeed.
He hadn’t played in English football for a full year before last season, but despite his inexperience, he didn’t exhibit any signs of being intimidated. According to Sofascore, his 6.80 average rating made him the eighth-best performer in his club. This rating was largely boosted by his 86% pass accuracy, 68% dribble success, 2.1 tackles, and 1.1 interceptions per game.
According to Sofascore, Partey was only able to match his success in tackles while recording even fewer interceptions per game. Many people who observed Romeo Lavia’s political campaign agreed with journalist Ed Aarons’ assessment of him: “Romeo Lavia is outstanding. And I’m still just 19…”
Imagine this kind of additional steel in Arteta’s powerhouse, alongside similarly sturdy Timber, and you can see how the two of them would instantly form one of the strongest midfield combinations in the division.
Not to mention, according to FBref, the 22-year-old centre-back was among the top 1% of centre-backs in Europe for passes attempted, progressive passes, and progressive carries per 90. He also contributed 1.4 tackles and 1.9 clearances per game in the Eredivisie.
This new-look team could achieve the league title they so desperately want if these two were paired together in a delicate balance.
