Liverpool are expected to make a second bid for Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia imminently, after seeing their first offer rejected by the Championship side.
The Reds’ first bid for the 19-year-old was an initial £34m, plus £4m in add-ons but it was rejected by the Saints who are holding out for more amid interest from a number of big clubs.
Southampton believe they can get £50m for the 19-year-old, with Chelsea also interested in him if they fail in their pursuit of Brighton’s Moises Caicedo.
The Telegraph report that Liverpool are leading the way to sign him, though, as they prepare to make a second offer and with Lavia reportedly keen on a move to Anfield over any other optons.
Whether Liverpool will raise their offer to as high as £50m is yet to be seen, they are more likely to try and persuade Southampton to accept less, but they are in desperate need of another central midfielder this summer.
Jurgen Klopp was expecting the departures of Naby Keita, James Milner and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain as their contracts expired at the end of the season, but Jordan Henderson and Fabinho, imminently, leaving for Saudi Arabia was not necessarily part of the plan.
Alexis Mac Allister has arrived from Brighton and Dominik Szoboszlai from RB Leipzig, but Liverpool need a replacement for Fabinho in the holding role, with Lavia the number one target for that job.
Klopp has other midfielders at his disposal, but Thiago Alcantara has proved injury-prone, while there will be pressure on youngsters Curtis Jones, Harvey Elliott and Stefan Bajcetic to step up.
The Reds continue their pre-season preparations on Wednesday in a friendly against Bayern Munich in Singapore.
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