With the departure of Jordan Henderson and Fabinho, Liverpool is in urgent need of a defensive midfielder. Amidst rumors of interest in a wide variety of players, they have presented two separate offers for their main target, Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia, but have been rejected.
He will be playing in the Championship from the new season and is not prepared to pay the amount of money Southampton is demanding. The player is open to playing at Anfield, but remains a top target, although there is no guarantee that negotiations between the clubs will go smoothly.
Meanwhile, Liverpool is also eyeing other players and has made contact with Brazilian international Andre, who plays for Fluminense and has already confirmed a transfer fee. According to the Independent, interest in Ryan Gravenberch and Kalvin Phillips has also not waned, and they are looking at Rabia as a replacement in case he misses out.
Former Ajax midfielder Ryan Gravenberch, whose first year at Bayern Munich ended poorly, has been repeatedly linked with a move, but has softened his stance after talks with leaders and coaches and is working on a preseason to compete for a position in the new season.
Negotiations for the 21-year-old midfielder have been difficult, as the German champions have consistently maintained a non-saleable stance. England midfielder Kalvin Phillips, who joined Manchester City last summer, is also struggling to find playing time in front of the high wall of Spanish midfielder Rodri.
Although his regular place in the national team is in jeopardy, the player is positive about the competition in Manchester and does not have an exit in mind at the moment. Neither candidate is likely to move on this summer, and they are likely to be more difficult to acquire than the Belgian midfielder.
Liverpool is expected to make a third offer over Lavia, but who will be the “new” defensive midfielder to replace Fabinho…?