da betcris： Arsenal could be set to continue their summer spending, by returning to finalise a longstanding transfer saga…
How much would Romeo Lavia cost?
da bwin： According to Belgian outlet DH, via Sport Witness, the Gunners could trump Liverpool in the pursuit of Southampton's star Romeo Lavia.
The Belgian midfielder, who enjoyed his breakout year last term in the Premier League, has been linked with an exit from St Mary's for some time since their relegation.
However, it seems that his potential move to the Emirates hinges largely on the future of Thomas Partey, and whether he departs for Saudi Arabia.
Given one Saudi Arabian journalist, Nawaf Al-Aqeel, claimed the Ghana international had already agreed personal terms with a club just last week, they should now have the upper hand over the Reds that the report suggested they would. Should that move go through, then bringing Lavia in is to become a 'priority', as per the report.
The Saints are set to command a fee of around £50m for his services, although Football Transfers only value the 19-year-old at €20.3m (£17.6m).
How good is Romeo Lavia?
This high-profile acquisition would supplement the three new faces already integrated within Mikel Arteta's squad, as they recently jetted off to America with Kai Havertz, Declan Rice and Jurrien Timber all part of the side.
Whilst it was a drawn-out process to sign the latter two, it finally seems as though their team has the requisite depth to truly challenge Manchester City and push them even further in the battle for elite honours.
However, this has clearly not stopped the north London club from scouring the market for additional deals that would further aid in this pursuit.
Given the versatility and immense technical capabilities of their new Dutch defender, it is expected that the former Ajax man will largely enjoy a future as an inverted full-back, coming inside from the right to help underpin Arteta's philosophy. This is despite his preferred role being as a centre-back.
Should this be the case, and with the potential double exit of Partey and Granit Xhaka, they would be without that midfield general to act as the foundation for such a system.
Therefore, Lavia's arrival could provide just that, with a defence-first mindset that would make him a formidable asset in the engine room to provide the springboard for Timber to shine.
After all, even though last term marked just his first full year in English football, he showed no signs of being overawed despite his youth. The 6.80 average rating he would record in the league made him the eighth-best performer within his club, as a figure largely boosted through his 86% pass accuracy, 68% dribble success, 2.1 tackles and 1.1 interceptions per game, via Sofascore.
Partey could only match his tackling success and would record even fewer interceptions per game, via Sofascore. Journalist Ed Aarons' surprise at his level despite his age summed up the thoughts of many who witnessed Lavia's personal campaign: "Romeo Lavia is outstanding. And still only 19…"
To imagine this kind of added steel within Arteta's engine room, whilst the similarly solid Timber inverts beside him, immediately the two could form one of the strongest midfield pairings in the division.
Not to mention that, whilst he too posted 1.4 tackles and 1.9 clearances per game in the Eredivisie, the 22-year-old also ranked in the top 1% for passes attempted, progressive passes and progressive carries per 90 when compared to other centre-backs across Europe, via FBref.
To partner these two with one another could see a fine balance struck, to help propel this new-look side to the league title that they so richly crave.