As the curtain comes down on an inconsistent season for Liverpool, it is clear that the hard work starts now for Jürgen Klopp and his staff ahead of a pivotal summer. One relegated star could tick a lot of boxes to kickstart a new era at Anfield.
Clearly, with a host of first-team midfielders departing the Reds following the conclusion of the campaign, replacements are duly expected to arrive in what promises to be a busy transfer window. During Liverpool's final game of the season, supporters will have caught a glimpse of one player who may prove to be an astute purchase in the coming months if the club can see off the challenge from some of the Premier League's other leading lights.
The race for Roméo Lavia's signature could well turn into one of this summer's most hotly contested transfer sagas, with Chelsea having been admirers of the starlet for quite some time — even testing Southampton's resolve with a bid in January, according to the Times — and Manchester City boasting a $50m (£40m/€46m) buy-back clause as part of the deal which saw the player move to the south coast last summer which becomes active in 2024, as per Fabrizio Romano.
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Under normal circumstances, one would have sensed that Saints may have been in a decent position to retain Lavia's services but relegation to the Championship does mean that they are a lot more vulnerable to losing players of the one-time Belgium international's ability. Liverpool, according to The Times, is among the sides keeping tabs on him.
For obvious reasons, this has been something of a season to forget for Southampton but it would be fair to say that the performances of the 21-year-old have largely been a rare positive during an otherwise onerous period.
It would probably be fair to suggest that the Belgian prospect had one of the poorer games of his season in the 4-4 draw between Southampton and Liverpool on the last day of the campaign — with his mistake directly leading to Diogo Jota's opener. This may plant a seed of doubt in some minds but this error was something of an anomaly during an otherwise promising season from the youngster.
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![Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp.](https://i2-prod.liverpoolecho.co.uk/incoming/article28219150.ece/ALTERNATES/s615/0_GettyImages-1748470251.jpg)
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In this vein, if one looks a little closer at the midfielder's numbers during this campaign, it is clear that he has excelled in spite of his team's wider woes. His defensive statistics do particularly stand out, with Lavia's tenacity out of possession clear. He has won an average of 5.59 ground duels per game, while also making an average of 2.27 tackles by the same measure, during his 29 league appearances this term, via FootyStats.
In possession, he has also been impressive, with his pass completion at approximately the 86 per cent mark — putting him in the top 12 per cent of all players in the league. Furthermore, his ability to draw fouls — he has been fouled approximately 2.02 times per game, putting him in the top 10 per cent of all players in the league — would make him a real asset.
Based on this evidence, one can certainly see why he has attracted interest from elite clubs in recent times, with his aptitude both in and out of possession obvious. On top of this, his tender years mean that he could prove to be a long-term investment with resale value.
![Roméo Lavia has impressed in a struggling team at Southampton this season and may be of interest to a number of elite clubs including Liverpool this summer.](https://i2-prod.liverpool.com/incoming/article27013582.ece/ALTERNATES/s615b/0_GettyImages-1494082282.jpg)
Undoubtedly, what Lavia would instantly bring to Klopp's side is some much-needed vitality in the 'number six' role, with the ability to relieve the pressure on the long-serving Fabinho possibly also something which could present a host of advantages. Granted, the Brazilian's form has improved in the past couple of months but bringing in an understudy who could eventually prove to be his heir apparent does make a lot of logical sense.
The interest in Aurélien Tchouaméni last summer does suggest that Klopp and his staff are aware of the need to strengthen in this area and Fabinho's alarming drop in form during the early months of the season just gone may have forced the club's hand in many respects. With links with Sporting Lisbon's Manuel Ugarte having been rubbished by Football Insider's David Lynch in recent weeks, it could well be that Liverpool's transfer gurus have other names in mind.
What is certain is that it is clear that there can be no sentiment this summer as Klopp looks to rebuild his side in the coming months after a disappointing season for Liverpool in many respects. Fabinho has been an excellent servant for the Reds but now could be the right time to put a succession plan in place and Lavia could prove to be a shrewd investment.