Arsenal set sights on Lavia after ending Caicedo interest

Arsenal have held internal talks over signing Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia after pulling out of the race for Brighton & Hove Albion star Moises Caicedo this summer, The Guardian report.

The Gunners are known to be interested in signing West Ham United captain Declan Rice. An opening bid of £80 million was recently rejected, and it could cost around £100m to secure an agreement.

This would take a large chunk of the club’s transfer budget, and it appears a prime reason behind ending their pursuit of Caicedo. Brighton have placed a similar £100m price tag on Caicedo’s head.

It is now reported by The Guardian that the Gunners are stepping up their interest in Lavia, who is also on the radar of Chelsea.

With the Blues focusing on signing the likes of Caicedo and Nicolas Jackson at the moment, there is reportedly growing belief that Lavia will end up joining the Gunners from the Saints this summer.

The South Coast outfit have set a price tag of £45m, but the Gunners are likely to push for a lower fee.

Lavia would be a superb long-term signing

The Belgian’s talent was unknown when the Saints signed him from Manchester City for £10.5m last summer.

Within a short space of time, the youngster managed to become a key player for the Saints. Lavia’s campaign was disrupted by a hamstring injury, but he was still one of their best performers.

Over the season, Lavia completed 86 per cent of his passes, winning 2.1 tackles and 4.9 duels per outing. He also excelled with his work rate and dribbling ability from the number six position.

In our view, he could be a superb long-term signing. Lavia should provide serious competition to Thomas Partey and Jorginho, and he has the credentials to become an undisputed starter.

Him and Rice could be a fantastic combination for Arsenal in midfield. While Lavia is strong with his defensive attributes, Rice is better with ball progression and could play more centrally.

Manchester City currently have a £40m buy-back clause for Lavia, but that only becomes active in the summer of 2024.

Arsenal will be hoping to sign him for a similar price. Personal terms may not be a problem. Lavia is currently represented by the same agency as Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka and Eddie Nketiah.

Stats from Transfermarkt.com & Sofascore.com