Aheed Abrar
Arsenal interested in Southampton midfielder and Manchester United target Romeo Lavia
Premier League rivals Arsenal have an eye on Southampton star and Manchester United target Romeo Lavia this summer, according to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano on Twitter.
The Gunners have ‘concrete and strong’ interest in acquiring the services of the midfielder in the ongoing transfer window. As things stand, the North London side have already held discussions with the Belgium international’s representatives.
However, Mikel Arteta’s team are not the only team with the youngster on their radar. Apart from the Red Devils, Chelsea are also looking to get a hold of the 19-year-old’s signature.
🚨 Arsenal have concrete and strong interest in Romeo Lavia. Relationship is excellent with his camp — talks already took place. #AFC
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) June 18, 2023
Timing will be crucial as Chelsea remain interested. Man United appreciate Lavia but still not advancing. City buy back clause only valid 2024. pic.twitter.com/QcTMqPx5ou
Southampton signed Lavia from Manchester City last summer. The midfielder developed in the Sky Blues’ youth teams before joining the Saints. Pep Guardiola’s team have a buy-back option for the youngster. However, it is only valid in 2024.
The Belgian caught a lot of people’s attention with his displays for the Hampshire-based club in the 2022/23 campaign. He made 35 appearances in all competitions for the St Mary’s Stadium side, scoring one goal and providing one assist.
Arsenal pushed for the PL title last season. The Gunners came close to winning the league. Granit Xhaka and Thomas Partey were Arteta’s go-to midfielders. On the bench, the Gunners had the likes of Fabio Vieira and Mohamed Elneny.
Erik ten Hag was unable to rely on a lot of players last season. Strength in depth was evidently an issue for us in the previous campaign. In the absence of Casemiro and Christian Eriksen, the Old Trafford side did not perform at an optimal level.
Scott McTominay and Fred have been inconsistent over the years. As for Marcel Sabitzer, he signed for us on loan from Bayern Munich in January.
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Therefore, we could evidently do with some fresh blood in the engine room. Lavia has shown a lot of potential. However, will the Belgian opt to make a switch to the Theatre of Dreams, considering his past connection with City? Only time will tell.
