Arsenal’s interest in Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia is far from a secret, however, news reported this week suggested that the Gunners are leading the pursuit.
Mikel Arteta is flexing his desire to bolster his squad this summer with Kai Havertz, Declan Rice and Jurrien Timber already set to wear the cannon next season, with the transfer window far from over.
As reported by Football Transfers, Arsenal have won the heart of Lavia, who ‘would prefer’ a move to the Emirates over links to Chelsea and Liverpool, putting the club in a 'good position' to sign the Belgian.
Saints are expected to ask for a fee in the region of £50m for the teenager, who only arrived on the south coast from Manchester City’s academy last summer.
Football Transfers added that a deal between Arsenal and the Belgian is moving slowly due to the movements currently going on in north London, with Rice arriving and Thomas Partey reportedly set to depart. That said, talks have been going 'very well' since they began back in April.
How good is Romeo Lavia?
In a dull season for Southampton, Lavia shone as a shining light in midfield for the Saints, sparking rumours that he will not follow the club to the Championship.
The teenager took his first shot at regular first-team football with a firm grasp, making his presence in the middle of the park known, acting as a monstrous figure sitting ahead of the defence.
Hailed as being a “shining star” by journalist Sam Tighe, the Belgian ranked in the top 4% of midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues in terms of blocks, averaging an impressive 1.90 per 90 to further state his dominance.
For Arsenal, a revamp of the midfield looks destined ahead of the new season, with Granit Xhaka departing and Partey also linked with a move away, the way Arteta’s side will look at the start of the campaign is unpredictable at this moment.
The speculated exits bring positive light in the Gunners’ pursuit of Lavia, who could add significant firepower and a jewel of youth in the Spaniard’s midfield.
It’s already expected that Havertz will be deployed in the middle of the park, making an exciting narrative should the Saints star also arrive at the Emirates, with numbers suggesting that the Belgian could get the best out of the former Chelsea sensation.
To operate as an attacking midfielder, it's imperative to have defensive support in order to balance the flow of the midfield.
Lavia could provide the German with significant cover in ways that Granit Xhaka did last season for Martin Odegaard, highlighted through his 1.02 tackles per 90, as well as providing a competent distribution to set play for the Norwegian, averaging 5.89 progressive passes per 90, via FBref.
The Belgian operated to a similar effect for the Saints as per FBref, averaging 4.13 progressive passes per 90 and excelling defensively with an average of 2.43 tackles and 1.34 interceptions per 90 in the Premier League.
The teenager has strengths in his passing ability and acts as an assured presence when dispatching the ball, making 4.09 passes into the final third per 90 on average last term while maintaining a pass completion rate of 86.2%, via FBref.
Havertz shone in the midfield at Bayer Leverkusen before making the switch to play in a more advanced role for Chelsea, registering 18 goal contributions in the 2019/20 in the Bundesliga.
The 23-year-old had the protection of the likes of Kerem Demirbay that term, who averaged 1.4 tackles per game in the bid to protect the midfield which ultimately allowed those ahead of him to flourish.
Equipping his side with a young player with the capabilities to play a pass and orchestrate the engine room could be a monumental shift in quality for Arteta.