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Photo by Matt Watson/Southampton FC via Getty Images
Despite having their opening offer for the Southampton midfielder rejected late last week the Reds are confident of completing the transfer.
With Jordan Henderson having completed his move to Saudi Pro League side Al-Ettifaq and Fabinho expected to soon join him in departing the club, Liverpool face the prospect of heading into the 2023-24 season with less midfield depth than they ended 2022-23.
Neither Henderson nor Fabinho’s departures were expected when the team gathered for pre-season last month, and the club have been left to scramble for a replacement, deciding last week that they would push ahead with their efforts to sign Southampton’s Roméo Lavia.
The 19-year-old had been seen as a potential signing for the future and for the right price the Reds would have sought to bring him in as Fabinho’s backup for the upcoming season. That, obviously, is no longer the dynamic—but Liverpool still want the defensive midfielder.
To that end, they made a bid approaching £40M with add-ons last week only to see it rejected by Southampton, who have maintained a valuation of around £50M for Lavia. Now, according to The Times’ Paul Joyce, they will make a second bid, likely around £45M.
Rumours of a second bid have been in the air for a few days, but until now were largely speculative. This is the first report of such from a club-connected journalist with a significant track record and likely represents information Liverpool are happy to have disseminated.
Without a senior defensive midfielder specialist on the books and with young Stefan Bajcetic injured along with versatile veteran Thiago Alcantara, Curtis Jones played the six in a friendly against Leicester on Sunday and could get the start there against Chelsea.
