Brazilian midfielder Fabinho, who was the anchor man until last season, has left Liverpool. Likewise, Jordan Henderson and James Milner, who can also play at the bottom of midfield, also left Anfield, and the search for a new defensive midfielder began in earnest.
The big name on the list is Romeo Lavia, a Belgian midfielder from Southampton who, despite being 19 years old, was a mainstay in the Premier League last season.
However, Liverpool felt that the asking price was too high, so they suddenly changed their target to Ecuadorian midfielder Moises Caicedo, but the player was turned down Liverpool.
Reds returned to the 19-year-old midfielder, but it was too late. Chelsea had reached an agreement between the clubs and the player, and following Caicedo, Liverpool lost out to Blues.
In the end, Liverpool acquired Japanese midfielder Wataru Endo, a player who showed promise except for his age of 30.
According to Sacha Tavolieri, a Belgian journalist, Romeo Lavia himself wanted to play at Anfield and had told those close to him, but his agent pushed him to move to Chelsea, where he was offered more money and a long-term contract.
🌕❗️@SachaTavolieri on @HorsJeuTwitch: Romeo Lavia’s personal choice of destination was @LFC, he told all his close friends he wanted to join the Anfield club — but his agent pushed for the @ChelseaFC move as they offered more money and a longer contract ❌💼 pic.twitter.com/e2Y569BcC6
— LFC Transfer Room (@LFCTransferRoom) September 1, 2023
Stamford Bridge side has Enzo Fernandez and Conor Gallagher, in addition to Moises Caicedo, who joined this summer, and there is fierce competition for positions. The current situation is that they have yet to even make the bench.
Looking at the player’s career, it seems that the move to Anfield was the right one. However, there is no denying that he could make a big impact in London.
Liverpool’s handling of the transfer was also sloppy, so what kind of future will the Belgian midfielder have after a difficult summer?