This is your morning digest for Wednesday, July 5th as Liverpool continue to be linked with a move for Romeo Lavia of Southampton
Saints boss makes transfer admission
Southampton boss Russell Martin has admitted that certain players will depart St Mary's this summer following the club's relegation to the Championship, with Liverpool keen on midfielder Romeo Lavia.
The ECHO understands Lavia is on the radar after an impressive individual campaign in his first full season as a Premier League player. The Belgium international is just 19 but managed to feature 29 times and stood out in a Saints side that ultimately failed to survive.
However, we also brought you the news that senior Anfield sources have insisted their interest has not gone beyond the due diligence process at present but he is most certainly a player whose ceiling and current ability mean he is well-liked within the club.
As seen by the Reds' move for Dominik Dominik Szoboszlai, if Liverpool opt to move for a player, a deal is usually swiftly conducted. And Martin appeared to concede that he is powerless in preventing some players from leaving, telling BBC Radio Solent: "I hope I can convince some people to stay who were happy 50-50 about it. I think there will be some players who we can’t avoid who will be back in the Premier League."
Read the story in full HERE.
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READ MORE: Kieran Maguire predicts next FSG move at Liverpool after Arsenal twist
Lavia deal could lead to more transfers
Having fired the starting pistol early in their summer recruitment with the addition of Brighton & Hove Albion’s Alexis Mac Allister, Liverpool now appear to have the bit between their teeth.
From rumoured interest to the deal being signed, the acquisition of Dominik Szoboszlai for £60m from RB Leipzig was done and dusted in less than a week, with the Reds moving quickly to engage after it emerged the 22-year-old Hungarian attacking midfielder’s release clause was to expire at the end of June.
That would have emboldened Leipzig to either try and keep hold of their most prized asset, or at least for them to eke more money out of the deal that they would have received if his release clause was exercised.
As with Mac Allister, Liverpool sought to underpay in relation to the true market value of the player due to their keen eye for a deal. Mac Allister could have wound down his contract at Brighton last year, but he signed an extension with both parties acknowledging, in reality, that it wouldn’t reach its 2025 conclusion. It was done to get him a better deal, but also for Brighton to get a better deal and remove some risk when it came to selling him.
Read the story in full HERE.
