Arsenal are still “working” on a deal to sign Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia this summer, but face stern competition from various rivals.
The Gunners had a 2022/23 season to treasure, going so close to winning the Premier League title but ultimately falling short in their efforts, running out of steam a little in the end.
The key now is for Mikel Arteta to further bolster his squad and take Arsenal up another gear this summer, ensuring they don’t rest on their laurels and instead attempt back-to-back title challengers.
With Granit Xhaka departing and Thomas Partey also potentially heading out of the Emirates exit door, midfield reinforcements are essential, which is where Lavia comes into play.
Writing on Twitter on Monday, renowned journalist Fabrizio Romano claimed that Arsenal have been working on signing the 19-year-old over the past couple of weeks, although a number of Premier League rivals are also eyeing up a move:
“Understand Liverpool asked conditions of Roméo Lavia deal, they’re in the race. Arsenal, working on this deal for 15 days – no official bid from both clubs yet. Man Utd and Chelsea, monitoring the situation but not in active talks yet.”
Our verdict on Arsenal’s potential move for Lavia…
This could be a superb piece of business by Arsenal, with Lavia someone who could represent an eye-catching addition from the off, but also be a long-term superstar in the middle of the park.
The Belgian stood out as arguably Southampton’s best player in a season that saw them relegated to the Championship, managing to outshine so many more experienced teammates with his all-round ability in midfield.
Namely a destroyer in a deep-lying role, Lavia’s tenacity off the ball is highlighted by 2.1 tackles per game in the league, which was only beaten by Mohammed Salisu’s tally of 2.3.
He could also bring technical ability to Arsenal’s midfield, however, enjoying an 86.4% pass completion rate and rifling home one stunning strike against Chelsea early in the campaign last August.
It may not be easy for the Gunners to get their man, given the level of interest, but surely any young player would look at what Arteta is achieving with the likes of Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli and William Saliba, and jump at the chance to work alongside him.
