On Monday, Liverpool saw a third bid for midfielder Roméo Lavia, this time worth $59m (£45m/€52m), rejected by Southampton.
The Championship club has maintained throughout that it wants $64m (£50m/€58m) for its exciting prospect, and it’s refusing to budge even as Liverpool creeps closer.
For supporters, the delay is a source of growing frustration. It was on July 25 that Liverpool’s first bid became public knowledge, and on July 31 that former Reds number six Fabinho sealed a $52m (£40m/€46m) move to Saudi Pro League side Al-Ittihad.
Any hope of Lavia being involved in the first Premier League game of the season against Chelsea on Sunday has now surely been quashed.
It seems that the player’s camp is pushing for the move (as per journalist Sacha Tavolieri), and Southampton is prepared to do business at what it regards as a fair price.
Any hope of Lavia being involved in the first Premier League game of the season against Chelsea on Sunday has now surely been quashed.
It seems that the player’s camp is pushing for the move (as per journalist Sacha Tavolieri), and Southampton is prepared to do business at what it regards as a fair price.
The problem is that Liverpool clearly doesn’t regard Lavia as a $64m asset at this point, and on the face of it, you can see why. At just 19 years of age, he has only one season of top-flight football behind him for a relegated club, and has made 36 senior appearances across the board.
But this is where the state of the market must be considered. One player mentioned alongside Lavia on Liverpool’s shortlist of Fabinho replacements was Crystal Palace’s Cheick Doucouré (via The Athletic), but The Mail subsequently reported that the Eagles wanted a ‘minimum’ of $89m (£70m/€81m) for his services.
Palace regards Doucouré as ‘central’ to its plans for the season ahead and, significantly, has been emboldened by Arsenal’s British-record $134m (£105m/€122m) swoop for Declan Rice, and Brighton’s $127m (£100m/€116m) valuation for Moisés Caicedo. That duo have established a new benchmark in the number six position.
Yes, Doucouré was named Palace’s player of the season in his debut campaign following his move from Lens, but he only cost the South London club $27m (£21m/€24m) last summer. A $62m price surge seems wildly excessive.
We’ve seen this process repeat itself in the case of Fulham’s João Palhinha. The Evening Standard named him as a candidate to succeed Fabinho, but West Ham has already seen a bid worth $59m (the same amount Liverpool offered for Lavia) turned down by the Cottagers.
Having invested just $25m (£20m/€23m) in the signing last summer, Fulham insisted on an $102m (£80m/€93m) fee for a player who turned 28 in July (via The Guardian).
Palhinha would suffer a serious shoulder injury in pre-season that probably rules out any potential move, but his club’s stance still paints an alarming picture of the market.
Every potential negotiating partner is aware of Liverpool’s glaring need for a defensive midfielder, and the time pressure it faces, and that puts Jürgen Klopp’s side in a weak position. Taking this, and the fees quoted for alternative targets into consideration, $64m for Lavia suddenly starts to look somewhat reasonable.
Yes, he might not reach an elite level straight away, but he boasts a higher ceiling than every other realistic target. The bottom line is that it’s time for Liverpool to pay up.
